A Feather's Tale
by Lorespinner
Summary: A rewrite of the second arc of canon. When Feathertail, Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt, and Eaglestorm receive a prophecy that tells them to venture from the clans and make a new home, they're all uncertain. But through strength and determination, they make their way forth, forging a legacy that will raise a new clan. If you read, please review!
1. Allegiances

_AN: This is another of my projects I've been working on. I used the allegiances of the books of the second series to put these allegiances together. One of the main characters, Eaglestorm, is Crowpaw/feather's older brother that disappeared from the earlier books, and Crowpaw's name in this is Crowfur, since this starts about four moons after the original series had the journey start. I've got a few chapters done, but I'm still getting used to writing the canon characters. I hope you all are able to enjoy this fic!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I, in no way, own warriors, nor do i own most of the characters shown._**

Allegiances

 **ThunderClan**

 **Leader** : Firestar\- ginger tom with a flame colored pelt and green eyes

 **Deputy** : Graystripe\- long-haired gray tom with amber eyes

 **Medicine Cat** : Cinderpelt\- dark gray she-cat with blue eyes  
 **Apprentice,** **Leafpaw** **-** light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes and white paws

 **Warriors** :

Mousefur\- small dusky brown she-cat  
 **Apprentice, Spiderpaw**  
Dustpelt\- dark brown tabby tom  
 **Apprentice, Squirrelpaw**  
Sandstorm\- pale ginger she-cat with green eyes  
Cloudtail\- long-haired white tom with blue eyes  
Brackenfur\- golden brown tabby tom  
 **Apprentice, Whitepaw**  
Thornclaw\- golden brown tabby tom  
 **Apprentice, Shrewpaw**  
Brightheart\- white she-cat with ginger tabby patches and blue eyes  
Brambleclaw\- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
Ashfur\- pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes  
Rainwhisker\- dark gray tom with blue eyes  
Sootfur\- lighter gray tom with amber eyes  
Sorreltail\- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

 **Apprentices** :  
Squirrelpaw\- dark ginger she-cat with green eyes  
Spiderpaw-long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes  
Shrewpaw\- small dark brown tom with amber eyes  
Whitepaw-white she-cat with green eyes

 **Queens** :  
Goldenflower\- pale ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes, the oldest nursery queen  
Ferncloud\- Pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat, green eyes, mother of Dustpelt's kits, Birchkit, Larchkit, and Hollykit

 **Elders** :  
Frostfur\- beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes  
Dappletail\- once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, the oldest cat in ThunderClan  
Speckletail\- pale tabby she-cat  
Longtail\- pale tabby tom with dark black stripes, retired early due to failing sight

 **ShadowClan**

 **Leader** : Blackstar\- large white tom with huge jet black paws

 **Deputy** : Russetfur\- dark ginger she-cat

 **Medicine Cat** : Littlecloud\- very small tabby tom

 **Warriors** :  
Oakfur\- small brown tom  
Nightwing\- black she-cat with blue eyes  
Tawnypelt\- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes  
Cedarheart\- dark gray tom  
Rowanclaw\- ginger she-cat  
 **Apprentice, Talonpaw**  
Smokestorm\- dark gray tom with blue eyes

 **Apprentices** :  
Talonpaw\- dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

 **Queens:  
** Tallpoppy\- long-legged light brown tabby she-cat, mother to Applekit, Marshkit, and Toadkit

 **Elders:**  
Runningnose\- small gray and white tom, formerly the medicine cat  
Boulder\- skinny gray tom

 **WindClan**

 **Leader** : Tallstar\- elderly black-and-white tom with a very long tail

 **Deputy** : Ashfoot\- gray she-cat

 **Medicine Cat** : Barkface\- short-tailed brown tom

 **Warriors** :  
Rushtail\- light brown tom  
Mudclaw\- mottled dark brown tom  
Tornear\- gray tabby tom  
 **Apprentice, Nightpaw**  
Webfoot\- dark gray tabby tom  
 **Apprentice, Weaselpaw**  
Onewhisker\- brown tabby tom  
Robinwing\- light brown she-cat with blue eyes  
Eaglestorm\- pale gray agender cat with pale green eyes  
Whitetail\- small white she-cat  
 **Apprentice, Thistlepaw**  
Crowfur\- dark smoky gray, almost black tom with blue eyes  
Owlwhisker\- light brown tabby tom  
Robinwing- light brown she-cat with blue eyes

 **Apprentices:  
** Nightpaw\- black she-cat with green eyes  
Thistlepaw\- pale ginger tabby tom with white paws  
Weaselpaw\- ginger tom with white paws

 **Elders** :  
Morningflower\- tortoiseshell she-cat  
Oatwhisker\- creamy brown tabby tom

 **RiverClan**

 **Leader** : Leopardstar\- unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat

 **Deputy** : Mistyfoot\- gray she-cat with blue eyes

 **Medicine Cat** : Mudfur\- long-haired light brown tom  
 **Apprentice, Mothwing** -beautiful golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

 **Warriors** :  
Ivytail\- brown tabby she-cat  
Blackclaw- smoky black tom  
 **Apprentice, Volepaw**  
Heavystep\- thickset tabby tom  
 **Apprentice, Stonepaw**  
Stormfur\- dark gray tom with amber eyes  
Feathertail\- silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
Hawkfrost\- broad-shouldered dark brown tabby tom with ice-blue eyes  
Swallowtail\- dark brown tabby she-cat with green eyes  
 **Apprentice, Splashpaw  
** Reedwhisker\- black tom

 **Queens** :  
Dawnflower\- pale gray she-cat, mother to Minnowkit, Tumblekit, and Pebblekit  
Mosspelt\- tortoiseshell she-cat, mother to Willowkit, Beechkit, and Ripplekit

 **Apprentices:  
** Volepaw\- small brown tabby tom  
Stonepaw\- gray tom with blue eyes  
Splashpaw\- gray tabby she-cat

 **Elders** :  
Shadepelt\- very dark gray she-cat  
Loudbelly\- dark brown tom

 **Tribe of Rushing Water  
**  
 **Healer** :Teller of the Pointed Stones **(Stoneteller)** -brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Prey-hunters** :  
Gray Sky Before Dawn **(Gray)** -pale gray tabby tom  
Brook Where Small Fish Swim **(Brook)** -brown tabby she-cat

 **Cave-guards** :  
Talon of Swooping Eagle **(Talon)** -dark brown tabby tom (formerly leader of the outcasts)  
Jagged Rock Where Heron Sits **(Jag)** -dark gray tom (former outcast)  
Rock Beneath Still Water **(Rock)** -brown tom (former outcast)  
Bird That Sings At Dusk **(Bird)** -gray tabby she-cat (former outcast)  
Crag Where Eagles Nest **(Crag)** -dark gray tom  
Sheer Path Beside Waterfall **(Sheer)** -dark brown tabby tom  
Night of No Stars **(Night)** -black she-cat

 **Kit-mothers** :  
Wing Shadow Over Water **(Wing)** -gray and white she-cat  
Flight of Startled Heron **(Flight)** -brown tabby she-cat

 **Cats Outside Clans**

Barley\- black-and-white tom that lives on a farm close to the forest  
Ravenpaw\- sleek black cat who lives on the farm with Barley  
Creature\- Old, dark gray tom with a patchy pelt and amber eyes  
Nat\- White she-cat with ginger patches and blue eyes  
Vivian\- White she-cat with yellow patches and blue eyes  
Cygnus\- Fluffy white she-cat with blue eyes; deaf.  
Libra\- Long-haired black she-cat with pale green eyes.  
Leo\- Long-haired dark ginger tabby tom with blue eyes.  
Orion\- Silver tabby tom with green eyes.  
Ursa\- Large brown she-cat with yellow eyes.  
Purdy\- elderly mottled brown tabby tom that lives in woods near the sea

 **Other Animals**

Midnight\- Star-gazing badger who lives by the sea


	2. Prologue

_AN: This prologue is short, but I'm rather happy with it. I'm going to go ahead and post the first chapter shortly after this as well._

 **Prologue**

There was a hush in the woods, softly glowing, that surrounded the pool of water. It was an almost unsettling quiet. Then the fronds of bracken in one corner of the clearing, and a lithe shape slipped into the open. They sat down by the pool, like they were waiting, staring into its depths. One of their ears twitched, and as if on cue, many more shapes began to appear in the open.

"Welcome," the first cat said, lifting his head. His silvery fur seemed to ripple as he stood, turning around in a full circle so as to be able to look at all of them, as many as there were. "Where are the other leaders?"

"We are here, River." A skinny black she-cat padded into the open, green eyes blinking owlishly. She was followed by a light brown she-cat and a ginger tabby tom. "We know why you have called this meeting. It is time for another to join our ranks." She didn't seem to be referring to the group as a whole, but to the four of them in themselves.

"Yes," River said, sounding pleased. "But I would like to give the choice to someone that knew the current clan better than I. Oakheart?" He called forth the red-brown tom, who looked surprised, but padded forward, dipping his head respectfully to River as he curled his tail around his paws. "Wind, Thunder, Shadow?"

"I suppose I'll allow Yellowfang to make the choice," Shadow mumbled, glancing towards the gray she-cat. Shock was written across her face, and a ripple of unease seemed to go through the crowd of cats gathered. Nevertheless, she stepped forth, dipping her head towards Shadow.

"With all due respect, Shadow, I was a ThunderClan cat at my time of death. My heart belongs with them," Yellowfang murmured.

"I know," Shadow replied curtly. "I think that knowing life in more than one home will help you make this decision." The gray she-cat still seemed displeased, but protested no more.

Wind and Thunder both paused after that, then opened their jaws to speak at the same time. They shared a glance, and Thunder took a step back. "You go first."

Wind nodded, flicking her tail towards a tom near the front of the group. "Deadfoot, come now." A flicker of disbelief crossed the tom's face, but, dumbfounded, he nodded, limping towards the circle of cats sitting by the pool.

"I offer the choice to Bluestar," Thunder said, looking towards the crowds for the blue-gray she-cat. She appeared not long after, sitting beside him and giving him a soft smile, as if they were old friends, though they'd never really talked before. Thunder returned the smile, however, dipping his head.

"Then you four must make your choice now," River said calmly, nodding towards the pool. "Which cat would you each choose to travel from your clan to a new home to begin again?"

While the other cats seemed puzzled, Bluestar stepped up first. "I believe I know what cat I wish to choose for this task," she murmured, dipping her head towards the water. The broad shape of a cat appeared, dark tabby fur rippling over strong muscle as they slept, sides rising and falling slowly.

There were a few meows of disagreement, but when Thunder raised his tail, they ceased. The ginger tom smiled at Bluestar and sent a small nod her way. "An admirable choice."

"Thank you, Thunder." Bluestar nodded at him, but it didn't seem like she had needed the compliment. She held her head high, sending glances to those in the crowd who had voiced their dissent.

"Shall I go next?" Oakheart offered, taking a step forward and glancing at River for confirmation. When the silver tabby nodded, Oakheart stepped up to the pool, staring into it for a moment. Then a plump, fluffy cat appeared on the pool's surface.

"Feathertail?" a voice scoffed from above. Oakheart raised his head, face expressionless as he stared into the crowd, some of whom were starting to get restless. He glanced at Bluestar, but she was looking into the crowd as well.

"Yes," Oakheart finally answered the protester, staring hard towards the cat who'd said it. "She is a good cat. Her qualities will be a gift on this quest.

"Let's move on," River said firmly, flicking his tail aggitatedly. "Feathertail is a fine choice." The matter seemed to be settled, though Oakheart had to force the fur on his spine to lie flat.

Deadfoot was the next to step forward, sweeping a warning gaze over the StarClan cats watching. He then nodded towards the pool, which showed a pale, wiry shape. "Your son," Wind commented.

Deadfoot was quick to look at her with cutting anger in his eyes. "No, they're not."

The she-cat looked surprised to be corrected so vehemently, but she nodded agreeably. "I'm sorry. I'd forgotten that."

Deadfoot seemed appeased, and he retreated back to his place beside Wind, looking at Yellowfang.

The she-cat seemed reluctant to step up, but when she rose to her paws, it was with dignity, holding her head high. The medicine cat padded forward and flicked her tail, and a mottled image appeared in the depths of the pool. When there was an outright yowl of disagreement, followed by loud voices, Yellowfang was quick to turn on the crowd with a glare so fierce that it silenced them. "I was asked to choose! And did I not say that my heart lay with ThunderClan?" Her eyes came to rest on Shadow, challenging her to say something.

"Shadow seemed amused, nodding slightly. "I think that Tawnypelt will make for an interesting choice. She should mix well with these cats, now shouldn't she?" She sent a glance towards Thunder, who chuckled softly.

"The cats have been chosen," River announced after a moment of silence, stepping forward again. "Let it be known that these cats are the founders of a new destiny for all those who come after them."

At first there were a few murmured agreements; then the cats began raising their voices, until they were chanting as if it was a warrior ceremony.

 _"Brambleclaw! Feathertail! Eaglestorm! Tawnypelt!"_


	3. Chapter 1

_AN: And here's the first chapter. I'm pretty happy with it, but I really need to work on my dialogue. Bear with me, please._

 **Chapter One**

Feathertail blinked open her eyes, sitting up groggily as she looked around the warriors' den for her brother, Stormfur. The large tom wasn't there, but Feathertail wasn't surprised; she'd been assigned guard duty last night, so by that time it was already after midday. She padded out of the warriors' den after grooming her long, thick fur, squinting at first against the bright light of the leaf-fall sun. As her eyes adjusted, she looked around camp, smiling as she spotted Dawnflower outside of the nursery, watching her kits play. Mosspelt, Feathertail's foster mother, was inside of the nursery- she'd just given birth to three healthy kits a few sunrises ago. Feathertail glanced around once more, and after not spotting Stormfur, she padded over to the nursery.

"Hello, Feathertail," Dawnflower greeted her with a soft smile. "Come to play with the kits? I could use a break right about now," she purred good-naturedly. Feathertail had a reputation for spending a good portion of her free time with the kits in camp, but whenever she played with them, her brother was usually with her.

The silver tabby shook her head. "No, sorry," she apologized. "I've just woken up after guard duty, and I'm looking for Stormfur, actually!"

Dawnflower chuckled softly. "Oh, that's alright, Feathertail. I think he was assigned the afternoon fishing patrol. Perhaps you can go find him by the river."

Feathertail nodded, looking grateful. "Thank you, Dawnflower. I promise I'll come back to play with the kits soon," she added. Dipping her head to the other she-cat, she padded out of the camp in search of her brother. Her heart twisted as she looked at Minnowkit, Pebblekit, and Tumblekit wrestling with each other, knowing that this might well be one of the last times she saw them if her dreams were really from StarClan.

She found her brother sitting by the river where it parted their territory from ThunderClan's, staring into the territory where their father had his own home. "Hello," Feathertail greeted him, and he jumped, looking up at her. He relaxed when he saw it was his sister, nodding to her just slightly. She settled down beside him, crouching down and gazing into the water. "Are you thinking of going back again?" Lately, Stormfur had seemed tempted to join ThunderClan to be with Graystripe, but Feathertail knew that as long as she was in RiverClan, he would remain by her side.

"Yes," he admitted guiltily after a moment of silence. "I know at this age, it would be hard, but I..."

Feathertail lay her tail gently on his shoulder, looking at him long and hard, and he avoided her gaze. She sighed after a moment and stood, flicking her tail. "Have you caught enough fish to bring back to camp?" she asked, forcing cheer into her mew.

"Yes," Stormfur answered, standing. He paused, them glanced at Feathertail, looking suspicious. "Hold on a moment. You weren't assigned on this patrol. Why did you come to check on me?" When she hesitated, he began to bristle. "Did you think I'd crossed the river without telling you?"

"No!" Feathertail quickly said, heaving another sigh. This was putting a strain on their relationship, one that she knew they both hated. They were always the closest of siblings, but Stormfur's longing for the forest was driving a wedge between the two of them. "Stormfur, it's... I've had another dream," she mumbled, ears laying back. "I think they want me to go to Fourtrees at the next quarter-moon to leave."

The gray tom gazed at her with astonishment in his eyes. "... Really?" he said quietly. "They've waited this long. Can't they just put it off a few moons more?"

"It's already leaf-fall, Stormfur!" the she-cat protested. "In a few moons, it'll be mid-leafbare, and far too cold to travel! I can already feel the chill of leafbare in the mornings!" She looked briefly hurt, before continuing, "If you still want to come with me..."

Stormfur stared at her for a long moment, then put on a tired smile, nodding and pressing his muzzle briefly to her cheek. "I can't let you go alone, can I? I promised you that, Feathertail. If you think that this is what StarClan wants- if the others come at the quarter-moon- then I won't let you go alone. You're all going to need more than four warriors to make a new Clan!"

Feathertail felt relief fill her up, as well as guilt. How could she doubt her brother's loyalty to her? She followed him as he went to pick up his catch, helping him with what he couldn't carry, and the two of them padded back to camp.

"Feathertail, pick me to be your apprentice!" Minnowkit squealed, batting at Feathertail's ear from where she stood on the she-cat's back.

"If you get Feathertail, I get Stormfur!" Pebblekit declared, bounding over to the dark gray warrior.

"Then can Momma be my mentor?" Tumblekit inquired, tilting his head back to look at Dawnflower.

"I've told you before, Tumblekit-" Dawnflower began gently, but Feathertail didn't get to hear the rest of what the said. Her eyes caught Mistyfoot's from across camp, and the she-cat beckoned her over with a flick of her tail.

Feathertail nodded, shaking Minnowkit off gently. "I'll be back later," she promised when Minnowkit began to protest. "Mistyfoot wants to see me." She padded over to the deputy, wondering what she could possibly want with her. She gave Mistyfoot a questioning look, tilting her head as she stopped in front of her. "Yes, Mistyfoot?" Feathertail asked politely.

"I see you've been getting along with the kits," Mistyfoot commented, her gaze fixed on Feathertail's face.

"I certainly have," Feathertail replied, smiling as she looked back to gaze at them. "They're a lovely bunch." Another pang hit her heart as she thought again of leaving them, along with the rest of her clan. The quarter-moon was only days away. What would RiverClan think of her and her brother when they left? How would Graystripe take the news of their disappearance?

"Would you like to have one as an apprentice?" Mistyfoot murmured softly, under her breath. Feathertail, bewildered at her words and snapped suddenly out of her thoughts, turned to her with wide eyes. "I think you'd be a good mentor for Tumblekit. He needs a guiding paw that isn't too harsh. You know how sensitive he is."

"Yes," Feathertail agreed, the twist in her heart growing, trying not to give away how she felt. "He'll definitely need someone who'll be a mentor as well as a friend." She hoped he'd be able to find that with someone that wasn't her.

"I'll talk to Leopardstar about it," Mistyfoot promised, smiling softly. "You'll make a good mentor, Feathertail."

Feathertail dipped her head, trying not to give away her embarrassment, and walked away as Mistyfoot dismissed her with a flick of her tail. Stormfur was waiting by the warriors den, crouched with a perch by his front paws.

"I caught it earlier and thought we could share," he explained, smiling at Feathertail. "What did Mistyfoot want to talk about?"

"She wants me to mentor Tumblekit," Feathertail mumbled, her voice filled with dread as she flopped down beside Stormfur. "There's still more than a quarter moon before they're apprentices, why did she have to tell me this now?"

"Maybe she senses that you've been uneasy," Stormfur mused, taking a bite of perch. After swallowing, he added, "We don't _have_ to go, you know. It's not like we _need_ to make a new clan. It'll be much safer to stay here."

Feathertail fidgeted as she looked at her brother, knowing that he was no coward. He just wanted to protect her when she didn't even need it, though she couldn't say that to him. That would be rude, and it would hurt him. "No," she said stubbornly after a moment's pause. "We do need to go. StarClan chose me for a reason, and if I go, I know you'll go, too."

They were silent for a while after that, eating the perch as they tried to ignore the awkward air. Stormfur finally stood when they were done, looking at the remains of the perch. "I'll dispose of this," he offered, not giving her time to reply before padding away.

Feathertail watched him go with a soft sigh, before turning around to the den. Surely their relationship wasn't on such rocky terms that he wouldn't go with her? She found herself wishing that this had all happened a few moons ago, before she'd started finding Stormfur longing for ThunderClan, and herself for independence from his sometimes overly-protective grasp.

The silver-furred warrior was still pondering her situation when a dark tabby padded up to her a few long moments later. "Feathertail," Hawkfrost greeted, rousing her from her thoughts. "You're to come on a border patrol with Ivytail and I."

"Of course." Feathertail smiled at the younger warrior, standing up. She didn't exactly appreciate that he acted like he was deputy sometimes- but their rank was the same, and Mistyfoot and Leopardstar never said anything, so she stayed silent as well. "Which border are we visiting?"

"The WindClan border," Hawkfrost said, padding to the entrance to the camp, where the senior warrior Ivytail was already waiting. Feathertail would be surprised if the old she-cat didn't retire soon.

"Good, you're both here," Ivytail said briskly, holding her head high with the pride of a senior warrior. "Did Hawkfrost tell you that we were patrolling the ThunderClan border?" She added to Feathertail, ear twitching.

Nodding, Feathertail wondered why Ivytail looked so tense. She was usually a fairly relaxed cat, but she looked... strange. On edge, even. Then the words came out of her mouth. "Leopardstar wishes for us to retake Sunningrocks. We'll be setting the border around it."

Feathertail could feel her heart sinking. Wasn't this a battle that had been played out many times? And with ThunderClan so much larger than RiverClan! Did they need to do this all over again? Wouldn't this hurt more than help? Prey was still scarce from the drought of greenleaf, and even if the warriors looked well-fed, Feathertail knew that they weren't eating nearly as well as they'd used to. She understood why Leopardstar was ordering this course of action, paired with the fact that this leafbare was already promising to be a cold one, maybe even cold enough to freeze the river over, which would close the fish off from the cats. But so close to leafbare, Feathertail was sure that it was better to take the chance and fend for themselves than risk warriors.

"If you're having doubts, I can always fetch another warrior," Hawkfrost said scathingly, knocking Feathertail from her thoughts. "Perhaps it's simply not a good idea to include someone in this patrol who has such close ties to ThunderClan."

The she-cat narrowed her eyes at him as she raised her head, wondering what right he thought he had to question her loyalty. "No," she said calmly. "I'll be fine." She glanced at Ivytail, who rolled her eyes at Feathertail after glancing quickly at Hawkfrost. The younger she-cat had to fight the urge to smile. "Let's go, then. What're you waiting for?" With that, all three of them padded out of camp, Feathertail just barely making it out before Hawkfrost so that he took up the rear.

Once the cats reached the river, they hopped over the stepping stones that led right to the Sunningrocks. Having the chilly water sweeping over their paws was getting wet enough for one day, Feathertail decided, and knew that none of them would fancy taking a dip in the water that already held the clenching cold of leafbare.

"Start marking the new borders," Ivytail ordered when they were on the other side of the river. Feathertail sent a few worried glances towards the sky, turning dark as the pale light of dusk streaked the clouds with pink and orange. She flicked her ear and sighed, getting to work on setting the borders. It smelled like ThunderClan cats had come through earlier that day, so she didn't think they needed to worry unless a cat happened to be taking a walk along the border.

It wasn't until after dark that they finished the patrol, and Feathertail thought wistfully of how short and cold the days were growing. She felt tense with every pawstep as the headed back to camp, a sense of wrongness pricking at her pelt and biting at her skin like a particularly persistent tick. Why did all of this seem to be happening right when StarClan wanted to leave? She took a deep breath, letting it out in a sigh as she padded back into the camp.

She was stopped before she could enter the warriors' den by Hawkfrost, and she blinked rapidly, tired and surprised that the tom was blocking her way. He looked almost apologetic, dipping his head slightly. "I apologize for the way I acted before." His voice came out cool and smooth, and Feathertail found it hard to believe him, because nowhere could she detect sincerity. "I should show more respect to older warriors like you. Would you like to take a walk with me, Feathertail?"

Feathertail flicked the tip of her tail slightly in agitation, but even as she felt distrust boil up in her, a part of her said that she should give him a chance. _A chance for what?_ She almost laughed at herself. She couldn't help but trust other cats. Instead of agreeing, though, she said softly, "I'm sorry, Hawkfrost, but I'm very tired. Perhaps another time?"

"Tomorrow morning?" Something like hope shone in his eyes, tugging at Feathertail's heartstrings. "If neither of us have a patrol, that is..."

The silver she-cat stared at him for a long moment. Was Hawkfrost... lonely? She never really saw him talking with other warriors on a basis that could really be classified as friendly, and it seemed the only cat he really hung around in his free time was Mothwing, who was becoming increasingly busy as she prepared to take the place of RiverClan's aging medicine cat, Mudfur. Finally, she replied slowly, "Perhaps. It'll all depend."

Hawkfrost looked suddenly much less pitiful and much more satisfied at her answer. "I look forward to seeing you in the morning, Feathertail," he purred, though his voice didn't exactly sound affectionate. He turned and slipped into the den, and she waited a moment before following.

Tiredly, Feathertail circled her nest before laying down in it, feeling her brother's warmth from the nest beside hers. She closed her eyes, thinking about the day that seemed so long even though she'd woken around sunhigh. _Me... a mentor, if I stay... Could I possibly befriend Hawkfrost...? And... my clan will need all of the warriors they can get... They have at least one battle ahead for Sunningrocks..._ She shifted restlessly, and her brother murmured from the nest beside hers. Feathertail let out a shaky sigh, still turning over this information in her head. Finally, she decided that she could do one last thing for her clan before she left. _I won't wake Stormfur when I go. He deserves to be able to stay where his heart is._


	4. Chapter 2

_AN: I'm getting a bit busy preparing for finals, so instead of posting two chapters (one for this story and one for Covering Moonlight) every week, I'll be posting one chapter in an alternating pattern for the next two weeks. In any case, I'm very happy with how this chapter turned out. Hopefully you'll all enjoy it as well._

 **Chapter Two**

Feathertail stood at the entrance to the warriors' den, looking over the rest of her clanmates as they slept peacefully. She let out a shaky sigh, keeping her voice low as her eyes lingered on Stormfur's pelt, rising and falling gently with the rhythm of his sleep. She would miss him more than anyone. She was certain he'd be better off staying here, though, and perhaps, without her around, he'd find his home in ThunderClan.

It was easy enough to slip out of camp undetected. Though the main entrance was guarded, Feathertail was able to slip into the stream by the nursery, looking back at RiverClan one last time before she turned her back on the camp for the last time, not allowing herself another glance. She felt herself being pulled back towards the camp, the place she'd known as home nearly all her life, but she couldn't go back now. StarClan was counting on her.

The past few days had made it tempting to stay. Mosspelt's kits had opened their eyes; Hawkfrost had taken on an entirely new temperament, and was friendly towards Feathertail. She hadn't been on any more patrols to Sunningrocks, but she'd heard of the skirmishes that had broken out. She'd been spending more time with the kits than anything else, as if trying to fill her last days in RiverClan making up for the time that she'd miss with them, even if they weren't her own. A choked purr tried to rise from her chest, mingled with sadness as she thought of Tumblekit, the kit she'd been promised as an apprentice. This, of course, made her think of Stormfur; he'd confided in her that Mistyfoot had promised Minnowkit to him.

 _He'll get to mentor her, if he stays,_ Feathertail thought, almost bitterly, though it was through no fault of his that it was true. _He's a good warrior,_ she chided herself, _and he deserves an apprentice!_

Suddenly, Feathertail noticed that she was coming upon Fourtrees, and would've fallen into the hollow if she hadn't noticed. She took a breath to steady herself, staring down into it; there were more than three cats there already! She counted six altogether, and the mingled scents of all three other clans reached her nose. So more than one had come from at least one clan? The thought made her wish for Stormfur to be standing beside her. In the end, she shook her thoughts away, making her way gracefully down the side of the hollow as she forced herself to retain her composure.

"Feathertail?" the cat to first spot her was a cat she recognized; Graystripe had introduced them at a Gathering, and they'd talked a few times before.

"Yes," Feathertail purred. "Hello, Leafpaw." She scanned the gathered cats, and realized that there were three ThunderClan cats, two WindClan cats, and a single ShadowClan cat. She could recognize each of them; Tawnypelt, the ShadowClan warrior, and her brother from ThunderClan, Brambleclaw, as well as Leafpaw and her sister- Squirrelpaw, wasn't that her name? The two WindClan warriors were siblings, though Eaglestorm was older than Crowfur. Feathertail remembered that he'd only gotten his name a couple of moons ago. With another sharp pang, she realized she was the only one without her sibling.

"It took you long enough," Crowfur snorted, looking away from her with a frown.

"Be nice!" Eaglestorm chided, flicking his tail. Something nagged in the back of Feathertail's mind about Eaglestorm; she couldn't quite remember what it was, however.

"I'm not obligated to be nice to cats who aren't a part of my clan," Crowfur snapped back at Eaglestorm, though he seemed to be trying to calm down. Feathertail felt pity for him almost instantly; with a quick temper like that, he probably didn't have many friends, and those he did have, he was leaving behind.

"I thought you said Eaglestorm told you about the dreams!" Squirrelpaw piped up, looking mildly satisfied at herself. "We are part of the same clan now! Once we leave, we aren't going to come back!" Feathertail wanted to purr with amusement at how self-assured the young she-cat was, but she held herself back, not wanting to further upset Crowfur.

"You don't know that," Crowfur growled, taking a step forward. "You-"

"You two, stop that," Tawnypelt said sharply, stepping between them. "We don't need any fighting. What we need is to get moving before someone comes along and catches us. I don't think that this will be taken lightly if we're discovered."

"Fine," Squirrelpaw grumbled, going over to sit by Leafpaw. Feathertail gave Tawnypelt an admiring glance, noticing how quickly she'd defused the argument.

"We're going in the direction of Highstones, towards the setting sun," Brambleclaw said from beside Feathertail, making the she-cat jump. She'd been so distracted by Crowfur, Squirrelpaw, and Tawnypelt, she'd hardly noticed Brambleclaw coming to stand beside her. "Everyone else knows. We were almost going to leave without you. Speaking of which, I'm surprised you don't have Stormfur at your tail."

Feathertail bristled at Brambleclaw's words, raising her chin to hide how hurt she was. "I don't need my brother to protect me. Besides, his fate almost certainly lies in these Clans."

"If he pads along a different path than you, then that's no one's fault," Brambleclaw said respectfully, taking a step back. "I apologize." To the rest of the group, he added, "Should we get going?"

"Yes," Tawnypelt answered quickly, leaving no room for argument in her tone. "We'll stop at Ravenpaw's barn along the way. I believe we've all been there before on our Highstones trips."

There were a few nods and murmurs of agreement, and then their party was off, Tawnypelt taking the lead. Feathertail fell in beside Leafpaw, who was walking alone, her sister ahead of them arguing with Brambleclaw over some trivial thing. "Hello," she greeted the medicine cat softly, glancing ahead to where the cats were trudging up the incline to WindClan territory.

"Hi, Feathertail," Leafpool purred, almost bashfully.

The RiverClan warrior was quick to notice that something seemed to be troubling Leafpaw. She flicked her ear, frowning. "What's wrong?"

Leafpaw paused for a long moment before her words began to rush out. "It's just," she said, paused, and then continued quickly, "I know I have to come on this journey because StarClan's been giving me signs and who else is going to be your medicine cat? But at the same time, I'm leaving behind everything I've known, and what will Cinderpelt think of me? And how will Firestar and Sandstorm feel with both of their daughters simply vanishing into thin air?"

"Stormfur can tell everyone where we've gone," Feathertail assured her without thinking, before cringing at giving away something she'd intended to keep secret. "I... did tell him about the prophetic dreams I've been getting. I left without waking him, though. I believe that he has a destiny here... He's been wanting to go back to ThunderClan, you know. With me gone, he'll be able to go without reservations."

The young medicine cat apprentice gave Feathertail a sympathetic look. "Well," she sighed. "At least they'll know... I'm certain that if any of them are truly unsure about our fates that they will send them a sign."

"Of course they will," Feathertail said, her purr slightly shaky with her own uncertainty, even though she'd done her best to hide it. "StarClan does know best."

"You know, if you ever need to talk, I'll be here," Leafpaw said after a short silence between the two of them. Quickly, she added, "Because I'm a medicine cat. Medicine cats help other cats, and, you know, you seem very nice from what I've heard of you." She looked mildly embarrassed at her outburst, and Feathertail laughed quietly to ease the tension, keeping her voice low as they ventured further into WindClan territory.

"Thank you, Leafpaw," she said sincerely, nodding at her. "The offer is more appreciated than I'd be able to tell you with words."

The light brown tabby purred with a slight nod, before a call of her name caught her attention. Squirrelpaw was beckoning to her with her tail, and Feathertail gave Leafpaw a tiny nod when she glanced uncertainly at the older cat. With that, she smiled and padded forward to join her sister. Looking around, Feathertail noticed that she was the only cat walking on her own now; Brambleclaw had joined Tawnypelt at the front, and Crowfur and Eaglestorm were close behind them, conversing in low tones.

This was to be a long journey, wasn't it?

They reached Ravenpaw's barn before morning light began to streak the sky. Brambleclaw was the one to go into the barn to call for Ravenpaw, and a moment later, the sleek black tom looked out at them, whiskers twitching. "Come on in. I haven't seen this many cats together since I last visited ThunderClan."

Feathertail followed the others into the barn, feeling tired, hungry, and disheartened. She didn't listen to the conversation of the others as they explained their purpose to Ravenpaw, looking around the barn and opening her jaws to drag in the scent of mice. "May we hunt?" she interrupted to ask Ravenpaw, smiling politely.

"Of course," Ravenpaw said, flicking his tail invitingly. "There's more than enough for everyone here. I think Barley's gone off to see if he can catch one of the last birds of the season, so I'm going to wait outside until he comes back. He'll want to know why you all are here, and I suspect that you'll need to rest, not answer questions all over again."

The cats murmured and nodded thankfully, and Feathertail went off on her own to hunt. It felt odd not to have her brother by her side. She heard the others behind her as she made her way to the back of the barn, but she paid them no mind. As she made her way further back, she came across a curious object; it consisted of two tall, angular sticks, with many shorter sticks like them making their way all the way up the taller ones. Putting a paw on the lowest branch, she put pressure on it, and found that the branch didn't even bend under her weight. She tilted her head up to see where it went, and, curious, began to climb up using the short sticks.

From somewhere below, she heard Eaglestorm exclaim, "Look at Feathertail!" She felt a surge of pride at herself as she reached the top, climbing onto the platform at the end of the tree. A few moments later, Ravenpaw joined her, looking amused.

"I didn't think any of you would come up here," he chuckled. "Looks like one is more curious than the rest. What's your name again?"

"Feathertail," the silver tabby said, smiling at Ravenpaw. "We met once before, when I was passing through with my mentor and my leader on the way to Highstones. I'm Graystripe's daughter, from RiverClan," she added as she remembered tales she heard from him as a kit about his adventures with Firestar and Ravenpaw.

"Graystripe's daughter?" Ravenpaw seemed shocked, before grinning broadly. "You've probably grown quite a bit from the time you were on your Highstones journey. It's good to meet you again, Feathertail. Would you like to hunt? There are plenty of mice up here."

"Thank you," Feathertail purred. "That sounds very good to me!" Some of the loneliness bearing down on her seemed to lift from her shoulders as she and Ravenpaw began to hunt.

Between the two of them, they'd caught five mice before they decided to head down. "Let me show you how to get down," Ravenpaw told her as she stared down at the steep climb, dread filling her gaze. She hadn't thought of that before climbing up here. She turned her attention to Ravenpaw just in time to see him close his eyes and jump into a loose pile of dried grasses below. It cushioned his fall, and when he emerged with a few little bounds, he shook his fur free of most of it. "Toss the mice down," he called up to her, and she nodded, dropping the mice to him one at a time, watching as he caught them like mossballs and set them aside. "Now jump down into the hay, like I did!" Ravenpaw said once all the mice were on the ground.

Feathertail felt anxiety stir in her belly as she looked at the pile that was so far below her. Looking at the open space where the others had already gathered to eat their catches, she noticed that they were all looking her way. Determination suddenly surged through her, and she bunched her muscles, closing her eyes, before she took the leap.

She felt her stomach rolling, her heart thudding in her chest, the sound of it roaring in her ears. The few moments that it took for her to go from the flat surface to the pile of hay felt like seasons, until finally, she felt the soft, yet prickly feeling of the dried grasses on her pelt. She leaped out from the pile, shaking her thick fur out to try to get rid of the scratchy sensation.

"That was amazing!" she heard someone mew, and looked up to see Squirrelpaw standing there, wide-eyed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Feathertail purred, sitting down to groom out the rest of the stalks from her fur. She was glad that she hadn't opened her eyes like she'd momentarily considered doing. That hay could've put her eyes out if she'd opened them. "Ravenpaw's the amazing one, though. He did it all without hesitating! It was very brave of him." She smiled at the tom who was scuffing the ground bashfully, and he shook his head quickly.

"I was terrified the first time Barley even led me up there. When he told me I had to jump down like that, I though I was about to die of fright. It did take me a few times to get used to doing it, but it's not that bad once you do."

"Can I try it?" Squirrelpaw chirped, looking at Ravenpaw hopefully.

"I don't think so," Brambleclaw spoke up from behind her, having made his way over after seeing her dash in Feathertail and Ravenpaw's direction. "You haven't even started eating. We need to eat and rest and get moving as soon as possible."

Squirrelpaw mumbled under her breath as Brambleclaw led her away, but Feathertail saw a fondness in her eyes even as she rolled them towards Brambleclaw. Were they padding after each other, then? Her whiskers twitched with surprise, and as Ravenpaw walked past her with his catch, two of the mice, in his mouth, he shot her an amused glance. She quickly returned it, laughing softly, before going to pick up her three mice. She'd have enough to have a quick meal when she woke, too, she realized with some satisfaction.

The silver she-cat settled down some ways away from the other cats, watching them eat as she dug into her own food. Ravenpaw had gone back outside, and she found herself wishing that he'd stayed long enough to eat with her. Having someone who acted as a friend had eased her loneliness considerably, and she realized just how lonely she really was after having Ravenpaw spend time with her, feeling her brother's absence suddenly, like a gaping hole in her heart. She tried to ignore it as she ate, but she had to swallow past the lump in her throat. Everyone else seemed to be staying to themselves, so what hope did she have to get close to them? Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw were close, that was certain; they were eating together, joined by Tawnypelt and Leafpaw. Eaglestorm and Crowfur were all the way on the other side of the barn, and Crowfur was sitting with his back to the other cats, which Feathertail thought seemed very deliberate.

When she finished the first mouse and moved to pick up the second, she noticed something; she only had one other one. Where was the third one? She frowned, opening her mouth to scent for any possible thieves, but she couldn't pick up anything besides hay, mice, and the mingled scents of the clan cats. Feathertail decided that Ravenpaw had probably gotten three of the mice instead of two, and when she had gone to pick hers up, she hadn't noticed. She wouldn't go searching for it when she could just hunt again when she and the others woke, so she ate the second mouse and then settled down in a nice spot to sleep.

Ravenpaw woke the clan cats at around sunhigh, light slanting into the barn through the clear panes on either side of it, and they all hunted and ate once again. They were also introduced to Barley, Ravenpaw's denmate, and they said a few last words to the cats, as well as giving Ravenpaw a message to deliver to any cats who came looking for them, or to take to ThunderClan, if it was needed. Then they were off, Ravenpaw choosing to accompany them to Highstones.

Feathertail was glad for his presence, as he invited her to walk beside him at the front of the group of cats. Between the two of them, there was a quiet conversation on the way there, mostly about nothing in particular. It mainly consisted of Feathertail filling Ravenpaw in on events that had taken place in the clans since his absence, and then asking questions back and forth about their own lives.

"You don't have to be alone," Ravenpaw suddenly murmured as they came close to Highstones. Feathertail gave him a surprised look, and he continued, "I know most of these cats, sort of. From what I know, from what I've seen- they're good cats, but they'll need something to bind them together, because it's obvious that the mission you've been given won't be enough this time. You've got a good heart, Feathertail. Do something for me. Make sure they all play nice." He smiled at her, and she felt her fur grow hot in embarrassment. So he'd noticed how lonely she'd felt? Suddenly, he began talking again, halting as he raised his voice. "I also think you'd all like to know that we have a follower."

"Foxdung!" a tiny voice mewed crossly, and Feathertail quickly turned around at the familiar tone, wide-eyed.

"Tumblekit!" The little tabby tom was padding out of the long grasses that they'd been making their way beside this entire time, and Feathertail bristled with sudden realization. "Did you follow me?"

"I wanted to know where you were going when I heard you by the nursery last night," Tumblekit informed her, looking up at her with wide eyes. "Then I followed you all the way to that big place! Was that Fourtrees?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "I thought that it must be super secret if you were going to Fourtrees to meet all those cats without Leopardstar being there, and of course it wasn't the full moon, so it definitely wasn't a Gathering! So I followed you all the way to that barn, even though I was really really tired, and I even got one of your mice without you even knowing! I'm super sneaky, aren't I?"

"This kit followed you and you didn't notice?" Crowfur growled in Feathertail's direction, though she wasn't paying attention enough to hear him.

Tawnypelt jumped to her rescue, shooting back at Crowfur, "None of us noticed, either. He's small and has dark fur, and it was late at night, with mingled scents from our Clans in any case. It's no one's fault."

It clicked in Feathertail's mind. Of course! That was where it had gone! And now that Tumblekit was here, cats were bound to come looking. "Ravenpaw, is there any way you can take Tumblekit back to RiverClan?" she asked desperately.

Ravenpaw opened his mouth to reply, but no sooner did he start to reply than Tumblekit cut across him with a complaint. "Feathertail, no! I want to come with you to the new place! I heard what you said and it sounds like fun!"

Feathertail looked apologetically at the others as she herded Tumblekit to the side, crouching down to give him a stern look. "Tumblekit, this is going to be a very long and hard journey. This is no easy task, and you're not even old enough to be an apprentice. You could get seriously hurt. And won't you miss Minnowkit and Pebblekit and Dawnflower? You'll never be able to go back to the nursery if you come with us."

"But, Feathertail," Tumblekit muttered, lowering his head, "Minnowkit and Pebblekit are better than me at everything, and Dawnflower always makes someone else watch us instead of spending time with us herself. You care about me, though! And you don't care when I'm not good at something! And maybe in this new place I'll find something to be good at!"

"Tumblekit," Feathertail sighed, pressing her nose into the kit's shoulder fur comfortingly. "Your family will miss you, don't you know that?"

"I'll follow you!" Tumblekit insisted, sitting up straight, suddenly fierce once again. "If you make Ravenpaw take me back, I'll follow you again! However many times I need to to find the new place with you!"

Feathertail sat up slowly, letting out a long sigh as she looked tiredly at the other cats. She didn't doubt his resolve; he was one of the most hard-headed kits she knew, and he'd already gone out of camp on his own several times before. Finally, she said, "He's coming with us. It's better that we be able to protect him than he try to make the journey to find us alone." She held her tail up before anyone could protest, seeing a few of them opening their jaws. "I'll be responsible for him. I know Tumblekit, and he won't stop following us until he finds us." She took a deep breath, then said resolutely, "Just three more phases of the moon and he'll be six moons old. I know that none of us have the right to give him his apprentice name, but he'll be treated as my apprentice. Leopardstar was going to have me be his mentor anyhow." She lifted her chin, daring anyone to oppose her decision and trying not to give away how nervous she felt.

The other cats exchanged looks and a few uneasy murmurs, but no one said anything to Feathertail. Feathertail thought she saw Ravenpaw give her an approving nod from the corner of her eye, but when she turned her head to look at him, he was impassive. She looked at all the others once again, before nodding and turning to Tumblekit, nudging him gently. "You're my apprentice now, Tumblekit. Since I'm going to be your mentor, you have to do as I say, alright? And your first job as my apprentice is to stay quiet. I'm going to carry you while we climb over Highstones."

Tumblekit opened his mouth to protest, but at a stern look from Feathertail, he seemed to think better of it, and closed his mouth, nodding.

"I wish you all the best of luck!" Ravenpaw called after them as the group began to head towards the path up to Mothermouth. Feathertail took the lead, still holding her head high even though Tumblekit was hanging from her scruff by her mouth. Though she felt bad for allowing him to come along, thinking of all that could happen to the kit, she couldn't help but feel a little relieved. She was close with someone that was here now. _Maybe I won't be so lonely after all._


	5. Chapter 3

_And here is it! The (probably not) long-awaited chapter three of The Journey. I had a fair bit of fun writing this, and I hope you all enjoy it!  
_

 _EDIT: Fixed a problem with the last part of the chapter, sorry about that!_

 **Chapter Three**

Together, the eight cats made it past Highstones, with Tumblekit's scruff held securely between Feathertail's jaws. The she-cat refused to allow herself to put the kit down until they were safely past the rocky terrain despite the pain that eventually spurred forth in her jaws and neck, but finally, she found that they were away from it, and set the young cat lightly on the ground.

"Which way?" she asked Brambleclaw, looking towards him with pricked ears as he came up the last rise just behind her.

"Just keep heading towards the setting sun, I'd say. Towards those fences," Brambleclaw suggested, whiskers twitching. The air seemed to fill with tension as the rest of the cats pulled themselves up, and Feathertail knew that her decision to bring Tumblekit was a risky one. There was no way to guarantee that the kit would be safe, and it seemed to be common decency not to tear a kit from its mother, but Feathertail knew Tumblekit, and the rest of them didn't. They had no right to pass judgement onto either of them, and if something did happen to Tumblekit, then Feathertail's guilt would be enough punishment.

"Well then," Feathertail said after a brief, uncomfortable pause, "I suppose we should get going, then." She felt that she'd been suddenly thrust into the position of leader when she'd made the decision to bring along Tumblekit. She didn't like it. She was no leader! She wished again for Stormfur to be there for her, but knew that it wasn't going to happen. Instead, she turned towards the fences, as Brambleclaw had suggested, and began moving again.

Tumblekit seemed to realize that he was supposed to walk now a bit late, and scampered forward to keep Feathertail's pace, taking long strides beside her. "Feathertail?" he questioned, gazing up at her. "Are you mad at me?"

"What? No, Tumblekit," Feathertail quickly said, shaking her head and giving the kit a kind smile. "I'm very glad to have someone that I know along with me. Why, I would've been all alone if you hadn't shown up." She brushed her tail soothingly along his spine, trying to ease any worries the brown tabby might have.

That seemed to calm the kit's mind, and he smiled as he said, "Will you teach me to fish when we find another river? Oh! And to hunt! We can hunt together, Feathertail, and I'll show you that I'm the best hunter that you've seen. I practiced all the time with Minnowkit and Pebblekit!"

"I'll teach you everything you need to know about being a warrior," Feathertail reassured Tumblekit. "You are my apprentice now."

"Oh! Oh! Can I be called Tumblepaw?" Tumblekit gave Feathertail wide, longing eyes, though he still bounced along beside her as cheerful as could be.

The question took Feathertail a long moment to answer as she thought about it. "I don't know," she finally said. "There's no leader here to give you your rightful apprentice name. But in three sunrises, I'll talk to the others, alright? In three sunrises, when you're truly six moons old."

"Oh, thank you, Feathertail!" Tumblekit purred affectionately, tail waving. He suddenly shivered as a cold wind blew over the plain that they walked on, free of most kinds of shelter. "It's cold," he complained immediately, looking up at her with pleading eyes, as if she could do something about it.

"You'll have to deal with it like a warrior does," Feathertail advised. "Fluff your fur up against the cold and keep walking. The more you move, the more you're able to keep warm." She remembered her first leafbare out of the nursery, though it wasn't quite leafbare yet. It just felt like it was, with the cold wind blowing down from the distant mountains.

"We deal with cold winds in ShadowClan territory before most others," Tawnypelt put in, almost scaring Feathertail's fur off as she seemed to sneak up behind them to walk on Tumblekit's other side. Feathertail really needed to pay more attention to her surroundings, and she berated herself for not doing so. "Our territory is very damp, even where there's no actual river or pond," she added. "The dampness makes it easy to get cold there, but on the bright side, most ShadowClan cats don't get ill very often because we're used to living in the cold and damp."

"Wow," Tumblekit said, seeming awed. Feathertail gave Tawnypelt a grateful look, nodding slightly, and Tawnypelt returned it with a soft smile. "Can you tell me more about ShadowClan territory?" he added, butting in quickly and eagerly before the two could exchange any words.

"Certainly," the tortoiseshell chuckled, flicking his ear with the tip of her tail. "What do you want to know?"

The band of cats stopped to catch prey when they reached rows of strange leaves growing up from the ground. There was more than enough by the time they decided to stop hunting, and each of them stuffed themselves on the mice they'd caught, as well as one or two birds. Though prey had begun to get scarce in the clans, Feathertail noted, it seemed to be coming onto the farmlands to fatten themselves up before whatever journey they themselves took for leafbare.

"I can't recognize any of these plants," Leafpaw sighed as they finished up eating. "I was hoping to find more traveling herbs. I was only able to take enough for me, Brambleclaw, and Squirrelpaw when we first left, and I've been keeping an eye out since, but I can't find anything!"

"Maybe if we helped you look?" Eaglestorm offered, flicking his tail. Feathertail once again got a nagging feeling that there was something she should remember about him; she brushed it off, however. "You could describe the leaves to us, or the flowers, if they have any."

"I doubt we'll be able to find herbs in this weather," Crowfur butted in, fluffing his fur out to make his point. "I don't understand how these plants are still surviving in this cold weather. Twolegs must have some kind of mystical knowledge that we don't. Do you even feel that wind?"

"There still might be some surviving plants," Leafpaw objected, looking mildly irked, though her tone was calm. Feathertail gave her a look of admiration at her ability to keep a level head. Crowfur's constant pessimism was enough to put anyone in a bad mood, but Feathertail thought that maybe he wasn't all bad, just a bit of a tough nut to crack. "Besides, some of them do grow in colder weather, unless there's an excessive amount of snow. It all depends on what kind of mix you're making, according to Cinderpelt."

The RiverClan warrior grew concerned as Leafpaw cringed at her own mention of her mentor, but before she could say anything, Tawnypelt butted in, "We need to keep moving. Everyone has eaten now, so we can't complain about empty bellies." She stood, shaking a few loose pieces of grass from her fur from the deadened area they'd eaten in. There were a few murmurs of agreement, and Tumblekit, who'd been sitting by Squirrelpaw, quickly bounded over to Feathertail.

The eight of them continued on without much incident, though Leafpaw did describe a few of the leaves to look out for. There wasn't much wildlife in the terms of plants on the Twoleg farmland, it seemed, for Feathertail could only see grasses and the neatly planted Twoleg plants. The party also passed fenced-in meadows where strange creatures grazed; Crowfur and Eaglestorm named them whenever they went past a new one, horses and sheep and cows. Feathertail herself remembered horses. Twolegs would sometimes come onto a path in RiverClan territory riding on their backs in the greener seasons.

By the time the cats were ready to find shelter, Feathertail felt like her paws were about to drop off. She had to admit, she was proud of Tumblekit for not complaining, though she could tell that he was tired. He stumbled over his paws every few steps, and she had been keeping a close watch on him to make sure that he didn't fall behind.

"Let's take shelter in that barn," Brambleclaw suggested, pointing with his tail at the nearby structure. The rest of the cats murmured in agreement, finding their way over to it, and even Crowfur seemed too tired to argue.

The barn seemed to be uninhabited when they approached, almost eerily silent. There didn't seem to be any openings, though, and Crowfur was quick to say, "I knew we wouldn't be able to stay in a place like this. It's just as bad of an idea as crawling into a den of venomous snakes." At the same time that he spoke, Squirrelpaw had suddenly darted off to one side of the structure, and a moment later she reappeared on the other side, looking triumphant.

"There's an opening in the back of the barn," she said, glancing pointedly at Crowfur. "I just needed to look for it. One of the pieces of wood is broken at the bottom, and there's a hole big enough for even Brambleclaw to fit through." She mrrowed in amusement at her own comment, waving her tail as she turned back around in a signal for the others to follow.

The RiverClan she-cat still kept a careful eye on Tumblekit as they made their way around to the back of the barn, as he now looked almost like he was about to go to sleep where he placed his paws. By the time they rounded the barn, Squirrelpaw, Brambleclaw, and Tawnypelt were already through. Feathertail took up the rear, pushing Tumblekit along in front of her. "Come on, we're almost to a place where you can rest," she mumbled.

"Hello!"

Feathertail paused as she set paw into the barn, hearing the cheerful chirp, and she looked around, ears laid back against her head to find the source of the call. Suddenly, with a flash of yellow and white fur, a young she-cat stood in front of her, looking not much older than an apprentice. "I'm Vivian! Creature is going to be mad that you're in our barn. He's out hunting with Nat right now! There are more of you than there are of him, though." She smiled, and Feathertail took a few steps back, still a bit shocked by her sudden appearance. "He's really nice, but he can seem kind of grumpy sometimes!"

"Excuse me, but where did you come from?" Squirrelpaw piped up from just ahead of Feathertail, looking confused and a bit angry. "And who is Creature?"

"Creature is the oldest cat in the barn," Vivian said knowingly. "But there are only three of us here. I just jumped out of a pile of hay to scare you all because I saw your friend come around the barn to find a place to get in! Where did you all come from?" She blinked her green eyes curiously, tilting her head. Feathertail tried to make the fur on her spine relax. This she-cat seemed harmless; she didn't think that someone could fake being this trusting and innocent.

"We came from a group of cats about a day's walk from here," Eaglestorm offered. "We're just passing through, trying to find a new home. We're just looking for a place to rest."

"Rest?" An old, scratchy voice came from just behind Feathertail, and she bristled all over again, turning to look at the source of the voice. A white and ginger she-cat stood just behind a dark gray tom with a patchy pelt and a snarl, though when Feathertail looked again, she realized that this was because some of his front teeth jutted out of his mouth. She guessed that this was Creature, and the one behind him was Nat. "You need a place to rest? Steal our prey as winter rolls around is more like it! Vivian, I thought I told you to guard the barn!"

"They smell so strange, Creature!" Vivian protested, gazing at the cats in awe. Feathertail noticed her gaze seeming to rest on Eaglestorm in particular, and stiffled a purr. Eaglestorm seemed to be focused on Creature, his muscles bunched under his fur in case the older tom tried to do something that would cause harm to any of the clan cats. "Please can they stay? I'll keep out of your fur and let them tell me stories instead tonight! Please!"

Creature's critical eye swept over the group, then he nodded slowly. "Sure. But you can't hunt here! We're letting the mouse population grow for when the snow hits. If I so much as see you mangepelts eyeing a mouse's whisker, you're out in the cold!" With hunched shoulders, the tom picked up a fat pigeon that seemed to have been dropped at his feet when he spoke earlier, padding off to a dark corner of the barn.

"Vivian, come share prey with me," the ginger and white she-cat said to the younger cat, glancing over at the other cats. Her gaze landed on Tumblekit, and her gaze seemed to soften a bit. "Is he yours?" She glanced up at Feathertail in question, flicking her ear.

Feathertail was quick to shake her head. "No. He's my apprentice, I suppose, but not my kit. He followed me when I left my camp to meet the others." She realized too late that what she said probably made no sense to the rogues, but Nat just nodded, walking over to the two of them.

"The kit can eat with Vivian and I. He looks absolutely exhausted, and I know he must be hungry. Follow me, and I'll show you to a place where you'll all be able to sleep." She padded in the same direction as Creature had gone after picking up her catch, though she veered in a slightly different direction as they rounded a stack of hay, leading the cats to a small open space that was surrounded by the tightly-packed dried grasses. There were already two nests of straw in the corner, and Feathertail guessed that this was there Nat and Vivian slept.

"What's your name?" Nat asked Tumblekit gently as the other clan cats began picking out hay for their nests.

"Tumblekit," the young tom said, then immediately yawned. "I'm going to be Tumblepaw soon, though!" he added proudly once he'd closed his jaws again. "Feathertail is going to talk to the others for me so she can change my name!" His chest was puffed out

"Excuse me?" Crowfur's head raised from gathering stalks of hay nearby, eyes narrowing at the three cats. Feathertail lifted her chin, frowning at him as he continued. "You're not the leader here! Just because you're bringing along some kit doesn't mean that you have the right to change anyone's name."

"I wasn't going to just change his name," Feathertail said quickly, trying to appease Crowfur before he could really start a fight. She shook her head and added, "Like Tumblekit said, I was going to ask you all what you thought about it before I tried to change anything. I think that if we made the decision as a group, then it wouldn't be so awful."

Her attempt at pacification seemed to work, the fur on the back of Crowfur's neck slowly lowering as she spoke. He gave a little nod when she was done speaking, seemingly satisfied with her explanation, but of course, he had to put in the last word. "I think we should vote on it now," he said stiffly. "Perhaps vote on a leader as well, and they can appoint a deputy."

"I don't think any of us have the power to determine a leader," Leafpaw put in, her voice holding a stern authority that surprised Feathertail. "I'd rather we waited for some kind of sign from StarClan, and if you're all wise enough to match your seasons, you'll agree with me."

Feathertail felt Nat's eyes on her, and turned to look at the she-cat, tilting her head in question. "What is StarClan?" Nat asked softly, looking mildly confused. "I've never heard of many of your terms before, and Tumblekit and Feathertail are strange names."

"What are the rest of your names?" Vivian butted in. "I want an interesting name like theirs, Mom!" she added, looking up at Nat with excitement shining in her eyes.

"You have to _earn_ a warrior name," Tawnypelt purred from where she was putting the finishing touches on a nest for herself. "My name is Tawnypelt, and this mousebrain is my brother, Brambleclaw."

"Hey!" Brambleclaw protested, raising his head from where he was also finishing up his nest. Behind him, Squirrelpaw snickered to herself, and Feathertail raised a paw to hide her smile. Her eyes momentarily met Tawnypelt's, shining with mischief, and she had to quickly look away as she felt her fur warming up.

"I'm Eaglestorm," the pale gray cat put in. "This grump is my brother, Crowfur." Crowfur bristled at his sibling's words, but a tail on his shoulder quickly made him relax. "I'd be glad to help try to explain StarClan and our four clans, if Leafpaw would like to fill in the blanks for things regular warriors aren't commonly exposed to."

Feathertail turned her attention away from the others as they continued to talk to the barn cats, distracted by Tumblekit pawing at her leg and staring up at her with large, shining eyes. "Feathertail," he began quietly, then interrupted himself with a yawn. The silver she-cat purred softly in amusement, one ear flicking back as she lowered her head, crouching to level her eyes with the kit's. "Feathertail, I'm tired!" he finally said, managing to wrestle his jaws shut after the yawn. "I want something to eat," he added, his mewl plaintive.

Glancing at Nat's catch- a stringy-looking squirrel- Feathertail guessed that it probably wouldn't be nearly enough to satisfy three cats. She looked back to Tumblekit before giving his forehead a swift, reassuring lick. "Go over to Tawnypelt and tell her that I need her to watch you for a bit," Feathertail murmured. "If you need to, go ahead and sleep. I'll wake you when I get back, alright?"

The kit seemed hesitant to leave her, but after glancing at Vivian and Nat, nodded, trailing over to the tortoiseshell she-cat. Feathertail waited until Tawnypelt looked up at her, catching her eye and exchanging a nod, then turned around and began to walk back out of the barn. She was in a bit of a hurry, despite the ache in her paws, and her long fur caught on the edge of the wood as she slipped out of the structure. She stopped a moment to smooth her fur down, before moving to continue on towards a grove of trees that caught her eye.

The silver tabby she-cat inhaled deeply as she padded into the shelter of the tall, thin trees, trying to catch the scent of some kind of prey, or perhaps the sharp, clear scent of nearby water. Thinking of catching fish from the river, something that came second nature to her, made her stomach rumble, and she flicked an ear in agitation as she dropped into a hunting crouch. There wasn't much cover under these trees. The most underbrush she saw were a few scraggly bushes here and there. She padded around for a bit, darting between tree trunks and bushes to stay hidden, as she tried to catch some kind of scent. She finally caught onto one just as she ducked behind a bush, scenting a hare downwind from her. As she peeked out of the bush, she was almost immediately able to spot it, with little vegetation blocking her view between herself and the rabbit, and her eyes grew wide at how plump it was. That single hare could easily feed at least four cats. She had to catch it, to bring back some kind of meal for all the others.

Lowering her body into a proper hunting crouch, she tried to remember the brief lessons she's had in hunting on land. She hadn't hunted rabbit since last leafbare, when she was a young apprentice. Just as she had decided to simply run for it and got into position, the winds changed, blowing her scent towards the herbivore. She cursed under her breath as it sat up and looked towards her hiding place, then turned and dashed in the other direction. As quickly as she could, Feathertail stood and pelted after it, but she was brought to a screeching halt as another cat leaped down from a tree. They landed directly on top of the rabbit, leaning down and biting harshly into the back of its neck.

Crowfur raised his head as he licked the rabbit's blood from his muzzle. "You'll never catch a rabbit by just sitting there and waiting, you know," he snorted, dark blue gaze flashing in a silent challenge.

'I know that," Feathertail protested, flicking her tail. "I just haven't practiced hunting rabbits in a long time, and the wind changed very suddenly. I can't help a bit of bad luck."

"Right," Crowfur laughed, seeming almost amused by her excuse. "So it's because you have fish for brains?" Feathertail bristled slightly, but she was able to keep herself from fluffing up fully, ears flicking back at his comment. Crowfur was quick to hold up his tail in a gesture of peace, however. "Look, I get that you're not that used to hunting on land, fish-fur. I'll help you get something else so we can all have a good meal."

Feathertail relaxed a bit, nodding as she turned towards the heart of the grove of trees. "Let's go this way. I can see more brush over here, so there's probably mice or something. You should just bury your rabbit at the base of that tree, and we'll come back for it later. Is that all right with you, grumpy tail?" She threw him a teasing glance, thinking that if he was going to make fun of her, then she should be able to make light of him as well.

Still, she was surprised when he just let out a tiny purr instead of being mad for the nickname. "That sounds fine." He dragged the rabbit over to the tree, and Feathertail began to walk away without waiting for it to be buried, already searching for any more evidence of prey in the area.

A while later, the two cats were able to find another rabbit, albeit a scrawnier one, along with a mouse. They were heading back to pick up the rabbit when Crowfur suddenly waved his tail at Feathertail, indicating a stream just a short ways away when she returned the gesture with an inquiring look. She nodded, only now realizing how parched she was. She made her way over to the stream, setting down the rabbit that she carried and looking into the water, noting with disappointment that it was too shallow to host any fish worth catching. She leaned down to drink from it anyway, the water fresh and cool in her throat.

The stars shone above as she lifted her head, turning it to look at Crowfur in silence. He was still drinking as if he'd never drink water again, and she realized that he'd been one of the WindClan cats that came regularly to RiverClan to drink during the time of the drought. "Why are you such a grumpy cat?" she asked without thinking, her tone almost one of amusement. She quickly covered her mouth with her tail when Crowfur sat up to give her an abrupt look.

"That's none of your business," he spat, shaking his head and going to pick up his mouse. Before he could, however, Feathertail interjected.

"I was just wondering because you seem like a decent enough cat," she added hurriedly, causing him to raise his head to look at her again through narrowed eyes. "You just seem so mad all the time over nothing at all. I was just curious, but if you don't want to share I'm not going to press you." She shook her head quickly, trying to clear her train of thought as Crowfur gave her a skeptical look. However, to her surprise, she received an answer.

"I suppose it's just the way I am," Crowfur told her with a dismissive shrug. "I've been like this since I was an apprentice. Is that a good enough answer for you?" He gave her a rather sarcastic smile before picking up his mouse and turning away, padding towards where they'd left the first rabbit.

Feathertail felt a bit of shock run through her, wondering why he'd responded at all. She dismissed the thought, grabbing her own rabbit and padding after Crowfur. At least everyone would be able to eat tonight with all that they'd caught.  
When they once again reached the barn, traveling there in silence, Crowfur stopped Feathertail before she went in with her prey. "That old tom probably won't be happy that we've hunted anywhere near here," he said wryly. "You should go in and get the others. We can all eat here, and hopefully we won't wake any of the barn cats if they're already asleep."

Feathertail nodded in agreement, glad that Crowfur had remembered the old tom. She'd nearly forgotten about him. She set her prey down beside Crowfur's, then slipped into the barn, being a bit more careful this time to not get her fur caught on the broken planks.  
Everyone was sleeping between the hay bales. She could tell before she got close, hearing nothing but the sounds of soft breathing, so she was very careful to approach the group with caution. She sniffed out her clanmates, and were relieved to find that they were at the opposite end of the area from Nat and Vivian. She quickly and quietly snuck over to them, walking over to Tumblekit first.

"Tumblekit, wake up," she murmured, to which the kit meowed wordlessly and rolled over, eyes still shut. Feathertail smiled and rolled her eyes, prodding him gently with one claw. "C'mon, lazy furball, you said you were hungry."  
At that, the brown tabby cracked open one eye. "... Prey?" he mumbled, slowly sitting up with a yawn. Feathertail chuckled, giving him a lick on the head, before going to wake the others and send them outside. She and Tumblekit were the last to leave, the warrior allowing the kit to go out first.

"You two got all this?" Tumblekit asked in amazement as he saw the prey that they'd caught. Feathertail smiled and nodded nudging him towards the rabbit she'd caught.

"Here. You and I can share this, and whoever else wants to share, of course. This isn't all that much prey, but I am surprised at how much there was for late leaf-fall." Feathertail smiled in satisfaction as she settled down beside the rabbit, silently thanking StarClan for the prey that gave its life to feed her and the others. To her surprise, Crowfur crouched down on the other side of the hare. He just seemed to be full of them that day, catching her off guard at every turn. The she-cat avoided his gaze, fur growing slightly warm in embarrassment, and found her eyes catching Tawnypelt's, who smiled and gave her a quick dip of her head as encouragement. Even though the two hadn't talked too much, Feathertail found herself reassured, and pulled herself back to the hare as Crowfur began to speak.

"Is it alright if I share with the two of you?" Crowfur asked politely. Eaglestorm padded up beside him with the mouse in his jaws, setting it down and sending her a look of question for his brother.

"Of course," Feathertail asked after a moment's hesitation, smiling back at Crowfur just as politely as he'd spoken to her. The dark gray tom gave her a gracious look, before nudging the rabbit towards her in a clear indication that she should take the first bite. She bit into it, feeling the musky flavor of hare on her tongue.

After a few bites and a pause just long enough to be called an awkward silence, Eaglestorm spoke up. "Feathertail?" he inquired, to which she lifted her head and tilted it to the side, not speaking for the meat still between her jaws. "Thank you for going out to hunt. I encouraged Crowfur to come along, as he gets extra cranky if he isn't able to get some fresh air. I hope he wasn't too much trouble?" Eaglestorm purred in amusement.

That made Feathertail laugh, but she quickly ducked her head to hide it as she saw Crowfur scowl. "He wasn't trouble at all," Feathertail was finally able to reassure Eaglestorm. "The most trouble I had was when he took my first catch right from under my claws!" 

"Hey, if I hadn't been there it would've escaped!" Crowfur pointed out, voice mild but expression indignant.

Eaglestorm snickered at the two of them, shaking his head. "Let's not get into a fight. I'm just glad the hunt went well and we have something to eat."

Feathertail and Crowfur nodded and murmured their agreement, and once again fell into silence, this time until everyone was finished eating. By that time, Feathertail's eyelids felt heavy, like she could barely keep them open, but she still volunteered to dispose of the remains. Once she finally climbed into the nest that Tumblekit insisted she share with him, she barely registered the warmth of the kit's fur against her belly before her conciousness passed into nothingness.


	6. Chapter 4

_This time you guys didn't have to wait for so long, haha! Here's the next chapter. I'm sorry if it seems a bit fast-paced. I think it came out well, though._

 **Chapter Four**

"Hey! Wake up, Feathertail!"

Feathertail woke with a start as an excited young voice caught her attention. She lifted her head, cracking her eyes open and squinting against the light that came in from the panes above. Vivian bounced excitedly in front of her, and Feathertail could feel the energy radiating off of the apprentice-aged she-cat. "Creature wants to talk to you," Vivian said to Feathertail, her eyes shining as she lowered her voice conspiratorially. "I think he knows about last night!"

"Last night?" Feathertail's senses were immediately on high alert, and all she could think about was her hunt. Creature had warned them not to hunt around here. "What does he know about it? Wait, how do you know?"

"You guys weren't that quiet," Vivian pointed out, "and I'm a really light sleeper! Mom didn't wake up though, don't worry. Creature probably isn't happy, though! I don't think I've ever heard of cats doing what he says not to do before. Do you think he'll make you leave?"

"We were leaving today anyway," Feathertail pointed out, standing up and immediately noticing that Tumblekit was missing. "Where is Tumblekit?" she asked sharply.

"He's outside! He's playing with Nat," Vivian explained. "Most of the others are out there too, but Creature also wanted to talk to Crowfur, so he's already waiting. Come on, I'll lead you to him!"

Vivian held her tail high as she pranced away, Feathertail following her with a feeling of dread in her stomach. Surely Creature wouldn't try to harm either of them? After all, even if he did manage to kill both Crowfur and Feathertail, he and his cats would be outnumbered two to one. She tried to push away the thought, not allowing the chills she felt to make her shiver. Everything was going to be fine.

The younger she-cat led Feathertail behind a large row of haystacks, which proved a to be a bit of a difficult path for the plump, long-furred she-cat. She was able to follow Vivian's pace fairly well, however, but was startled when she blinked one moment, and the next, she opened her eyes and Vivian appeared to have vanished.

"I'm right here," Vivian purred, sticking her head out of a hole in the wall opposite the hay. "Come on through, Creature and Crowfur are waiting."

The silver tabby tried not to be unsettled as she moved into the area where Vivian had directed her. It seemed that it was a den to itself in the barn, connected to it only by the large hole that they'd come through. She did, however, spot a broken-out pane, lacking in the signature sheen of the invisible barriers, as well as a closed-off Twoleg entryway. "Come closer, kit!" A familiar raspy voice startled her out of her observations. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the den as she looked towards where the voice came from, showing her that Creature was lying on his side, as relaxed as Crowfur wasn't, sitting across from him with a twitching tail.

"What is this about?" Feathertail demanded warily, picking her way around strange objects scattered over the floor to be closer to the tom, keeping an eye on him.

"You two hunted last night, but not in the barn," Creature said, addressing his point directly. "You went out to hunt. I'm a little impressed at how well you did, and you didn't even bring it inside. I noticed when you went off, young'n." He directed this comment at Crowfur. "Walkin' out to hunt as noisy as you please. Isn't the barn's fault that you don't groom properly and have knots in your fur, there's no use in cursin' at it." Crowfur began to bristle, and Feathertail rested her tail across his shoulders in warning. Creature continued as if he didn't notice, though he glanced at the two out of the corner of his eye. "So I was thinkin', if you and your cats don't think you'll rely just on the mice in the barn, we'd be glad to keep you over the winter, providin' they can hunt for themselves too," he finished, giving Feathertail a polite nod.

The she-cat felt her hopes lift at the prospect of having somewhere to stay instead of traveling for moons without anywhere for permanent shelter, especially with the oncoming leafbare promising to be so grim, but then she remembered the urgency that had been in Crookedstar's tone when he came to her in her dream, and she shook her head. "No," she said apologetically, "I can't. I'm sorry, Creature, your offer is very much appreciated, but we have to be on our way. We have a long journey ahead."

"I understand." Creature gave her an agreeable nod, standing slowly. "Come on then, I'm gonna see you all off. Feel free to hunt in the area again before you leave." He began to lead the way out, joining Vivian where she stood near the entrance before moving past her. Feathertail came next, then Crowfur, and Vivian brought up the rear. The patrol of cats made their way outside, where a cold wind immediately sank into Feathertail's thick fur. She spotted Crowfur shivering from the corner of her eye.

This is going to be a bitter leafbare, she thought, but brightened enough to smile as she spotted Tumblekit. Nat had brought out a mouse for him, a live one, and was allowing him to chase it about, until he finally pounced, biting it sloppily behind the neck. The killing blow could use some precision, Feathertail noted, but he wasn't too shabby at it.

She padded up to the kit to flick his ear with her tail. "Have you caught something to eat already?" she purred. "I suppose that means I don't have to take you out to practice hunting today!"

Tumblekit's eyes immediately lit up at the prospect. "Hunting?" he asked, then quickly said, "I'll go! Please take me with you, Feathertail!"

"Feathertail," Leafpaw cut in, her voice sounding urgent. "Before you go off with Tumblekit, I have something to say. I had a dream last night, and Spottedleaf spoke to me." She seemed to hesitate as everyone's eyes fixed on her almost immediately, ears perked with interest. "She wanted me to say that the prophecy cats are all eligible to perform ceremonies for now, until a proper leader is chosen, and they'll be considered valid. So Brambleclaw could act as Firestar for Squirrelpaw, and for Tumblekit, you…." She trailed off, knowing that they all got the gist of it. "I thought that it was important to say, anyway," she added hastily. "Since there was almost an argument over it last night, you know."

Tumblekit turned to Feathertail with pleading green eyes, and she didn't know what to say. She knew what Tumblekit wanted, but she still felt that she was in no place to conduct such a ceremony. "Why don't we let Feathertail do this in private with Tumblekit?" Tawnypelt suggested after a short but heavy pause, thick with expectancy. "It'll probably be easier on her. If we need anyone to be there to see that it's definitely been done, and done correctly, I volunteer."

The others murmured agreement, and began to move away with Brambleclaw in the lead, dividing them up into hunting patrols and sending them in different directions. Creature and Nat went along as well, but Vivian hung back, looking like she was about to burst. Finally, when Feathertail looked at her expectantly, she explained, "I want to see what the ceremony is like! Please, Feathertail?"

"Fine," the she-cat said reluctantly after another pause. She still wasn't sure that this was really something for her to do, but it was the best they had right now, and she felt a bit better without as many experienced eyes on her."It's okay if you want to watch, but I'm not sure that I'll do this completely right."

"I'm sure you'll get it," Tawnypelt said encouragingly, to which Feathertail responded with a deep breath, preparing herself. When she could wait no more, she began, trying to remember what Leopardstar said when she conducted these ceremonies.

"Tumblekit, you are old enough now to become an apprentice," she addressed the kit, drawing herself up to her full height despite feeling like she wanted to shrink down. "Therefore, I have decided to take you on as my own apprentice, and I promise to pass on my skills to you. From now until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Tumblepaw."

She stepped forward to touch her nose to his forehead, feeling him tremble with excitement. She stayed there for a moment to give him time, until he seemed to remember what he was supposed to do, and he gave her shoulder a quick lick. "Thank you, Feathertail!" Tumblepaw purred, looking up at her with eyes shining in admiration.

"It's no trouble," Feathertail purred to her new apprentice, flicking his ear with her tail. She couldn't believe it; she actually had an apprentice of her own now. And she'd performed his ceremony on her own. It was a very startling realization, and she wondered if she'd also be the one to make him a warrior, though she hoped that in the next six moons, they'd find a place to settle their new clan and have a leader. She shook her head to dislodge the thought from her mind, knowing it was best not to linger on it now, and nudged Tumblepaw forward. "Come on, let's start your apprenticeship by teaching you how to hunt."

It wasn't long before Tawnypelt, Feathertail, and Tumblepaw reached the place where the others had entered the strange, brush-barren forest. Tumblepaw almost immediately began to play with dry leaves that were scattered over the forest floor, pouncing after one and then another as the wind lifted them up into the air. "Tumblepaw," Feathertail called after him before he could get too immersed in his game. "We're here to start your training, not play games. We have to get moving very soon, so this is going to have to be a very speedy lesson!"

Tumblepaw seemed to be a very attentive listener, much to Feathertail's surprise. She had expected him to be much more hard to work with than he was, at least at first, but when it came down to it, he stopped playing and gave her his attention. Beside her, Tawnypelt purred softly, flicking her ear and glancing at Feathertail. The formerly RiverClan warrior smiled at Tumblepaw, dropping down into a hunter's crouch. "Since there's no river around here to fish from, for now I'll have to stick to teaching you how to hunt. Copy my crouch as best you can, and I'll help you with making it better."

The brown tabby listened to Feathertail before doing as she said, crouching down in a way that seemed to be trying to mimic Feathertail, but it would be obvious to any experienced hunter that his present style wouldn't get him anywhere. The silver tabby stood, walking over to him and nudging his back legs in closer to his body, and stepping gently on the tip of his tail to stop it from twitching. "Keep your head down, or else I'll have to step on that too," she purred, tapping his forehead with the tip of her tail. Tumblepaw giggled as he lowered his head until she moved her tail, then stepped back. "What do you think?" she asked Tawnypelt, looking to the more experienced warrior. "I'd like to get him used to keeping his paws tucked in, but I'm afraid that after all of yesterday's walking he'll be stiff if I make him sit there too long."

Tawnypelt observed the young apprentice for a moment, before shaking her head. "I think that if you really wanted to, you could go ahead and take him further into the forest. It'll be harder for him to catch anything that way, but sometimes the best way to learn is to fail." She gave a reassuring smile to Tumblepaw as he looked almost disappointed, adding, "You're barely old enough to be an apprentice, Tumblepaw. No one expects you to be perfect yet. All I'm saying is is that you have a lot to learn, but you do have plenty of potential, too - both of you do, as mentor and apprentice."

"Thank you," Tumblepaw and Feathertail replied at the same time, only to exchange a look and share a grin.

"Let's go further in now, alright?" Feathertail chuckled. "Let's see what you can do."

By the time the three cats returned with only a sparrow between them, caught by Tawnypelt when she decided to venture out on her own for a while, Tumblepaw had become very disheartened. Feathertail reassured him that he would be able to try again soon, but she felt bad for her apprentice, especially when she saw the abundance that the others had caught. They all sat down outside the barn to eat, and by the time everyone had finished, Crowfur was pacing impatiently at the edge of the group, and Squirrelpaw bounced on her toes beside Brambleclaw as he talked to Nat in a soft voice. When the last of them had stood up, however, the clan cats seemed to suddenly draw together into a group, and the three barn cats approached.

"Are you sure you won't stay?" Creature asked, his voice cracking around the edges with his age.

"I think we're all impatient to get moving," Brambleclaw answered, nodding at the older tom. "Forgive us, but it's time that we go."

"Thank you for your hospitality," Leafpaw added, smiling and giving the barn cats a quick nod. "It's very much appreciated."

"It's no problem," Nat interjected, a warm expression on her face as she gazed at their guests. It struck Feathertail very suddenly that Nat reminded her of Mosspelt, the she-cat that had taken her and her brother in when they were young, and a pang of loss suddenly hit her heart as she thought of them. "If any of you decide to come back this way, I hope you'll find us again, and I hope your journey treats you well. May you always find shelter if you return to this place." She dipped her head, and Feathertail quickly dipped hers in return as she realized that Nat's eyes met hers.

"Thank you once again, and have a safe leafbare!" Feathertail purred to the three, trying not to give away the lump in her throat. Her group all said their goodbyes and turned to leave, ready to put the barn behind them, just more distance between them and the rest of the clans. Just like that, they were once again on their way in their journey, heading towards the place where the sun set. A comfortable silence settled over all of the cats, their bellies full after a good meal and each feeling well-rested.

The countryside that they traveled through was covered with strange plants that she'd never seen before, but nevertheless seemed harmless, probably planted by Twolegs for food. Many of them looked strange, but it was reassuring to have them there, as every once in a while she'd catch a whiff of mouse near the edge of the fields, or hear the scuttle of tiny paws. If they needed to stop near the fields, then there would be a guaranteed source of food.

It wasn't too long, unfortunately, before Feathertail's paws began to ache once again. She didn't utter a word of complaint, knowing that this was because of the distance they'd traveled the day before, but if they could once again go the same distance, then they'd be that much closer to their journey's end and a place to permanently rest their paws. She kept her jaws firmly shut until about sunhigh, when she noticed Tumblepaw trodding along beside her. He was dragging his paws and his eyes were drooping, but he was carrying on resolutely, the look in his eyes making it clear that he was determined not to complain. Feathertail had almost forgotten that he was yet still only a kit, and wasn't exactly experienced in walking long distances, no matter how much boundless energy he seemed to have.

If Tumblepaw wasn't going to complain, Feathertail would complain for him. It felt odd to break the silence over the group, pierced only by the soft sounds of the world around them and their paws settling on grass, but she wouldn't let Tumblepaw just fall out and have none of them notice until he was far behind. "Could we stop to rest for a moment?" she requested. "My paws are beginning to ache, and we've already gone quite a long way." She was careful not to mention Tumblepaw, knowing he'd likely insist on not being the cause of their stopping.

Though a few cats sent her mildly annoyed looks, she could see that they were only trying to hide their own relief. "I think that sounds like a fine idea," Eaglestorm volunteered, the first to verbally agree. "I see some bushes just over there. Do you think that would be a good place to take our rest? It's bound to give at least a bit of shade." Feathertail's gaze followed where he pointed with his tail, though she already knew that he was referencing the bushes on the far size of them that were mysteriously still covered in foliage despite it being late leaf-fall.

"I'm up for a rest," Squirrelpaw sighed in agreement, already padding towards the bushes with her sister in tow. Feathertail nudged Tumblepaw forward as the rest of the group headed towards the bushes, and the group of cats melted into the shadow it gave, or into the leaves themselves.

The long-furred she-cat settled down at a place beside Tawnypelt, blinking slowly and yawning from her fatigue, but she refused to go to sleep. They had to continue soon, this was simply a chance to recover from their long walk. Instead of sleeping, she began to lick her paw pads, trying to soothe some of the hurt from them. Beside her, opposite Tawnypelt, she spotted Tumblepaw laying down and putting his head on his paws, and she knew that he was out like a light. She couldn't blame him. She sighed as she finished doing all that she could for her sore pads, placing her head on the ground and staring out of the bush. Any moment now, one of the others would make the suggestion for them to go on and continue. Any moment now.

The next thing Feathertail knew, she was jerked awake by an unseen force. She felt like she was suddenly being buffeted through a strong gale, fighting her way forward against the wind. One paw after another, she forced her way through, squaring her shoulders. Some silly wind couldn't defeat her, no matter how hard it was pushing back on her. She couldn't see where she was going, however, lost in the inky darkness of wherever she was. Suddenly the sound of rushing water reached her ears, and she wondered if perhaps she was back in RiverClan territory, just before a particularly bad storm. "Hello?" she called out, hoping that it was true, and that she might hear a familiar voice to lead her back to camp. "Hello!" However, when she listened, all she could hear was the howl of the wind.

Before she could think of anything else to try, she took another pawstep forward, and nothing was beneath her paws. Feathertail yowled as she was thrown off of the edge of the cliff by the wind. She reached out, claws extended, trying desperately to grasp for something, anything. There was nothing for her to hold onto, however, and she kept plunging into the darkness until she was suddenly covered with an unbearable cold, immediately soaking through her fur and seeming to penetrate her very bones.

"Come on, we have to get out of here! We have to find better shelter!" Feathertail woke up once again being attacked by a wind, but this one was slightly less forceful. With it, however, it carried bone-chilling snow. _This must've been what my dream was trying to warn me of! StarClan help us!_ Feathertail thought, still not fully awake but rising to her paws. "Come on, we have to go!" She could only see blurry shapes through the snow, and she realized with alarm that Tumblepaw was no longer beside her. Then she caught his scent, heading in the direction that the voice was coming from, and began to fight her way forward realizing that if she was going to go, she needed to go now, before the snow got any higher.

She had trouble fighting the gale, but narrowed her eyes and battled her way through it, each pawstep more laborious than the last as the snow began to pile up. Feathertail wasn't about to give up, though, following the dark shapes that she could see moving through the snow in front of her.

The silver tabby felt like it had been forever since she'd spotted another cat clearly when, up ahead, the darker shapes began to fade, leaving her behind. Panic swelled up in her chest, choking her for a moment before the thought occurred to her that she should probably shout out. "Tumblepaw! Tawnypelt! Brambleclaw! Someone, I need help! I'm falling behind!" The outlines of her friends didn't reappear through the curtain of snow, however, and she felt the need to wail in despair, but yet still kept pushing on, determined to catch up to them. They weren't going to lose her that easily!

Soon enough, hope began to shine through as she saw a large shape looming ahead of her. It looked big enough to be a barn; perhaps the rest of the cats had gone inside to escape the freak weather? She began to bound towards it, but before she could get too close, she heard an ominous snapping sound that made her heart leap anxiously. Feathertail continued forward a little faster, but then she heard the snapping again, along with a long, low groan. Then a voice, battered by the wind and unrecognizable as it reached her, shouted out, "Look out!"

Feathertail froze in her tracks as the sound grew louder, turning to look at an approaching black mass with fear in her eyes. It didn't take her long to realize that it was a humongous tree, falling towards her from the force of the wind, and paralyzing terror colder than the snow around her gripped her heart. _I'm going to die!_


	7. Chapter 5

_Sorry for leaving you all with a bit of a cliffhanger, but here's the next chapter! I had a good time writing this, and I hope you'll all enjoy reading it._

Before Feathertail was crushed beneath the weight of the falling tree, something suddenly pushed her in the direction of the barn, making her snap out of her daze of horror. "Move!" a sharp voice yelled over the howling wind, but though she was curious, Feathertail knew she didn't have time to stop and look, running as lightly as she could over the snow so that her paws didn't sink in too deeply. She'd never more wished that she was a WindClan cat, instead of having her father's thick build and being raised in her mother's clan of bountiful fish.

She heard the tree land in the snow behind her with a muffled thump, and though she knew that the danger was past, she didn't seem to truly register it until she had gotten close enough to the barn to see a tiny sliver of light coming from inside of it. She dove through the crack between the barn doors, and heard another cat come in behind her just before she collapsed, panting, on the dirt and scattered hay of the barn floor. The wild winds outside forced the large entryway shut just a moment later, making her jump, and she suddenly realized that her ears were ringing from the gale. They began to focus in on sound nearby, and soon Feathertail could make out the sound of cats talking. "Your friend will be okay, but you'd best be glad that Cygnus was there to save her," a stern, gravelly voice said. "What were you all doing out there anyway? Don't you know how dangerous it is to be out in a storm as bad as this? We haven't seen one this terrible for years!"

"Are you okay?"

Feathertail sat up very suddenly as a voice came from very near her, and she whipped her head around to find herself gazing at a white she-cat with blue eyes, covered in snow. She recognized the voice, once she'd thought about it. "You're the one who saved me!" Her fur grew hot as she realized that her rescuer wasn't only level-headed in tough situations, but beautiful as well. She felt silly for being too scared to even move when such a pretty cat had been watching her.

She suddenly realized that the other she-cat was giving her a puzzled look. Her fur grew even warmer, wondering what she'd done wrong now. "Can you repeat what you said?" the she-cat finally asked, looking a bit embarrassed herself. "Slowly, this time." Her voice came with an odd accent, almost a slur, but it was only noticeable when Feathertail focused on it.

"Oh, um. Sure," Feathertail said. "You're the one who saved me, right?" She shuffled her paws bashfully as she ducked her head down.

"Oh, yeah!" The she-cat gave her a tiny purr, her bright eyes scrunched up with joy for Feathertail's recognition of her accomplishment. "I'm the one who saved you. My name's Cygnus. Sorry if I talk funny or ask you to repeat stuff, but I'm deaf, so I don't know how to talk too good sometimes." Her paws scuffed the ground sheepishly as she tilted her head.

"You're deaf?" Feathertail asked in surprise, eyes widening as she looked back up at Cygnus. Then how had she known that the tree was going to fall in the first place, or how to find Feathertail out in the storm? She couldn't have heard the creaking and groaning of the tree, or Feathertail calling out! The silver cat had only heard tales of deaf cats as well, so she wasn't really sure exactly how it worked. Perhaps Cygnus could see the tree moving, and had somehow spotted Feathertail amongst the snow?

"Yeah, I am!" Cygnus laughed, though there was a nervous tinge to it. She was obviously uncomfortable talking about her disability. "What's your name, anyway?"

It was clear that she was trying to change the subject, and Feathertail felt guilt dig into her fur for making the other she-cat feel awkward. She didn't try to go back to the same subject, though, and instead answered Cygnus's question, speaking slowly like the other cat had asked her to. "My name is Feathertail. I come from a group of cats that live far from here. We've traveled a long way."

"Can you repeat that once more?" Cygnus asked politely, though she still seemed ashamed to ask, and Feathertail couldn't help but wonder why she was so afraid to ask for her to accommodate her disability. It wasn't her fault. Still, Feathertail repeated what she said, then watched as a look of amusement crept over Cygnus's face. "... Weather Hail?" she asked after a moment, causing Feathertail to giggle, shake her head, and repeat her name. "Feathertail?" Cygnus asked after a couple more careful attempts.

"You've got it!" Feathertail purred, nodding. The white she-cat looked overjoyed at finally getting her name right, though she still seemed to be amused.

"That's a weird name," Cygnus told Feathertail matter-of-factly. "I've never heard somebody with a name like that before! Do your friends have weird names too?"

"Well, your name is weird to me," Feathertail answered. "They do have similar names, though. At least, in how they're put together. I can introduce you if you'd like."

"Oh, please?" the white she-cat purred. "They're the ones who told Ursa you were still out there. She sent me out because she knows the wind doesn't bother me, and that I have the best nose!" Of course - her senses were sharper because she couldn't hear. It made sense, and Feathertail supposed she should've thought of that earlier. "Let's get you warmed up first, though."

As Cygnus cozied up to Feathertail and began to groom her pelt clean, Feathertail realized that she'd been shaking like a leaf in the storm outside since they'd come in. She felt her fur grow hot with embarrassment, but leaned over to help Cygnus with the icy clumps that clung to her long pelt. It was nice of Cygnus to think to help Feathertail out, but in doing so, the silver tabby mused, she'd forgotten to help herself.

Suddenly feeling eyes on her pelt, Feathertail lifted her head slightly, nearly jumping when she discovered that across the barn, Tawnypelt was staring at the two of them with a shadowed gaze. Feathertail had never seen quite a stormy look cross her face in the past few days they'd been traveling together, and wondered what was making her so angry. The other she-cat seemed to suddenly realize that Feathertail was looking back at her, and quickly turned her head away, padding off to talk to Brambleclaw.

"What's wrong?" Cygnus asked in her light, chirpy voice, making Feathertail pay attention to her once again and drawing it away from the other warrior.

For a moment, Feathertail didn't know how to respond. Then she simply shook her head, saying, "Nothing." She would have to talk to the other warrior later to make sure she was okay, but this was nothing to bother their hosts over. Cygnus gave her a doubtful look, but returned to cleaning her pelt. When both of their pelts had been properly dried, they stood up, and Feathertail led the way over to her friends.

"Hello, everyone," Feathertail said, and suddenly her legs buckled under her as she was leapt on by a tiny cat. Tumblepaw grinned as he licked her cheek, a loud purr rumbling up from his chest, and though Feathertail was glad to see him, she was suddenly aware of how sore she was, how hard it had been to get to her paws before. "Off, you big furball!" Feathertail mumble, giving him a weak shove.

Tumblepaw quickly scuttled backwards, dipping his head remorsefully. "I'm sorry, Feathertail. Are you okay?" It was clear that he felt sorry for jumping on her if it caused her to collapse like that.

"I'm fine," Feathertail said with a sigh, standing up and giving her chest fur a swift lick to try to hide how wobbly she was. She didn't want Tumblepaw to think he'd done anything wrong; after all, the snowstorm wasn't his fault. "Thanks to Cygnus I am, anyway." She smiled at the pretty she-cat, nudging her shoulder gently with her own.

The large she-cat blinked, seeming to be brought out of a trance at Feathertail's nudge, and smiled down at her. "Weren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" she asked amiably, her blue eyes shining with excitement.

"Oh, yes!" Feathertail said quickly, nodding her head. "Of course I will. I've already told them your name, so I'll let them introduce themselves, okay?" She talked slowly, but not too slowly, so that Cygnus could understand. When Cygnus nodded, she stepped back to let everyone introduce themselves. "Please speak slowly and clearly," she added, getting by now that that was the best way to ensure that Cygnus understood. She didn't want to put Cygnus through the trouble of having to explain to all of these cats how to speak to her, either.

It took a while longer than it would have to introduce them to a cat who could hear, but finally, after a while of repeating names back and forth, Cygnus had gotten all of the names of Feathertail's travelmates. Before Feathertail could interject, wanting to spend some more time with the cat that had so graciously saved her life, Brambleclaw began talking to her. "There was a kit in our clan once, deaf like you. If we had had someone like you around, maybe…"

"Feathertail, may I speak to you?" Feathertail jumped as she heard a grave voice sound by her ear, and she turned to stare into the green eyes of Tawnypelt.

"Sure," she answered, trying to force her fur to lie flat. She hadn't even heard the dark-pelted cat approaching. She supposed that that was the advantage of growing up in ShadowClan; you always knew how to use the shadows to your advantage. She could remember a few border scuffles with them, and tales of the great battle with BloodClan. She followed the she-cat to a place that was walled off from the rest of the barn, where Tawnypelt suddenly turned to face her again.

"Don't you think it's strange that these cats are just offering us a place to stay in what will clearly be a harsh leaf-bare?" Tawnypelt hissed, keeping her voice low as her tail lashed. "They can't possibly have enough mice here, either. There isn't as much hay as in the last barn. We would've been better off taking Creature's invitation to stay there!"

"There may not be as much hay here, but I can still scent all sorts of prey running around," Feathertail pointed out, her confusion clear. Why was Tawnypelt acting so hostile all of a sudden? She couldn't imagine dear Cygnus, or anyone who was friends with such a cat, attacking any of them. "What do we even have to fear from them, anyhow, Tawnypelt? From what I can see, there are only about five of them, and one of them is deaf and sweet as a newborn kit. We outnumber them."

"Do you see how big they are, though?" Tawnypelt pointed out, fur along her spine beginning to bristle. "They could overpower us!"

"What purpose would they have, to take us into their home in the middle of a snowstorm and then attacking us?" Feathertail pointed out, shaking her head. She'd expect Crowfur to be making these sorts of accusations at this point, not Tawnypelt.

The tortoiseshell and white cat was silent for a long moment, and then she should her head, a blank expression taking over her features. "Fine. Let's just wait and see what happens." She walked right past Feathertail without another word, leaving the she-cat to wonder if she'd said something wrong. She just wanted Tawnypelt to understand that they had come across a bit of fortune; she really didn't think these cats were trouble. After a moment she followed the she-cat, only to come face-to-face with a large ginger tom.

"O-oh! Hi." He smiled and dipped his head, and it still didn't come level with hers. He was even taller than Cygnus was. Were all the cats here giants? "I'm Leo. I was j-just looking for you. Ursa wants to check you over and m-make sure you're okay. She treats all of us like we-we're still kits, so I wouldn't be surp-prised if she makes you sleep in her den tonight." At the confused look on Feathertail's face, he added, "H-haven't you me-met Ursa yet? I c-could've sworn that she was there to g-greet all of you."

"I haven't met her yet, no," Feathertail informed the tom, shaking her head. "Is she like a medicine cat? Like, does she know herbs and such? If not, I'm sure Leafpaw could help me."

"She kn-knows some herbs, yes!" Leo said quickly, before flicking his tail. "F-follow me p-please. I'll just show you Mama Ursa's den, and yo-ou'll understand. I know you're t-tired, but you won't have to g-go far."

Feathertail wanted to protest, but she opted to not say a word, instead simply nodding and following Leo. She felt Tawnypelt's own suspicions creeping up on her, but felt them melt away as she was led into another of the stalls, nestled into a place where light could've easily filtered in were snow not piling up against the walls and windows outside. It smelled of old hay and reminded Feathertail of the forest, where the scent of decaying leaves was especially strong this time of year, but with a slightly more damp tinge to it. Near the back of the den were three nests, and by the one farthest to the left the hay had been swept away from the floor and some of the earth scooped out to create small dips where piles of herbs were stored. In the farthest left nest, a dark shape lay curled up, but when they entered, the cat's broad head, made broader by their long fur, rose up, dark whiskers twitching.

"Welcome," the she-cat said, her voice wisened and cracked. She cleared her throat, however, and when she spoke next it came out soft and sweet to say, "My name is Ursa, but I suspect you already know that. I apologize for not coming to see you personally when you arrived, but I saw that my daughter had already taken on the task of greeting you. You were alone out in the storm for some time, my child. Are you alright?" Concern shone in her gaze, and Feathertail's heart warmed at the thought that this cat truly cared for another that was little more than a stranger.

"I wasn't completely alone for too long," Feathertail answered, confidence slightly wavering and being apparent in her voice, for when she was in the storm and had lost track of her friends, she had felt incredibly alone. "StarClan was by my side before Cygnus came to rescue me." And, indeed, when she thought about it, some of the howling winds reminded her of the voices of close friends who had passed away, as if they'd been calling to her to join them. The thought made her shudder, sending a chill down her spine and causing her tail to fluff up just slightly. "How did Cygnus know where to find me if she's deaf?" Feathertail asked suddenly as she remembered her earlier pondering.

"Your friends pointed her in your direction, and she went out as quickly as she could to find you," Ursa chuckled. "She's very eager to please everyone, and she's such a dearheart. She was concerned for all of you, but as soon as they said there was one left in the storm, she'd asked for directions and was out of the barn before any of us could stop her. It's a good thing, too - she's the fastest of us anyhow, and the smallest, so it's easier for her to race across the snow. Ah, what I wouldn't give to be young again!" The large she-cat sighed, shaking her head, before quickly looking back up at Feathertail. "Ah, but my child! You must be tired. Why don't you stay in this den with us for tonight? I'm sure Orion and Libra won't mind. That way I can keep an eye on you, hm?"

Glancing at Leo, who was standing silently behind her, Feathertail thought she caught him giving her a look that said _Told you so._ She snickered under her breath before turning back to Ursa. "If you think it best, then I will certainly stay here for the night. If you need help at all, though, might I suggest getting Leafpaw to help? I believe she'd almost finished her medicine cat training when we left the forest, so she should be able to identify any herbs, and any that you have to give to our other friends would be useful as well…." She trailed off, whiskers twitching hopefully.

Ursa surveyed her with a warm look as she chuckled softly. "Of course, my child. Leo, why don't you go and fetch some hay for Feathertail to sleep here? In the meantime, Feathertail, why don't you just settle down and wait for Leo to get back. I can go fetch your friend." The large she-cat stood, giving a long stretch before she began to pad after Leo out of the stall. Feathertail was too tired to protest, sinking down onto her belly and closing her eyes. Sleep seemed to drag at her pelt, but she could do nothing to fight it off, instead allowing herself to succumb to the warm embrace of unconsciousness.

Feathertail woke in the middle of the snowstorm, cold winds swirling all around her. She stood firm as she glanced around wildly, wondering where her friends were. Where was she? The last thing she could remember was talking to Ursa. Surely that wasn't just a dream?

She shook the thoughts from her head as snow touched her pelt, beginning to bound forward through the ice. She opened her muzzle to drag in scents from around her, but as she'd suspected, she couldn't scent anything over the layer of snow that covered the ground and sky. She let out a hiss of frustration, forcing her way through the snowdrifts that blocked her path. Then she realized that she was making her way through the snow far too easily; no, it couldn't be. Was _this_ a dream? She could feel the chill of the snow, and a slight push of the wind, but it was a diluted experience from her earlier trek. A thrill of fear ran through her. Why would she dream of this when she had just experienced it?

She might have stayed there had she not heard a call in the distance. "Feathertail! Tumblekit! Anyone?" That voice…! It was so familiar! The snow seemed to part before her as she rushed forward, spotting the shadow in the blizzard when she had gotten close enough. Just a few more leaps forward, and, yes! It was her brother. A purr began to rise in Feathertail's throat, until she realized what this meant. Her brother, looking weary and thinner than when she'd left him, was fighting his way completely alone through the storm. Her breath caught as he fell to the snow, letting out a low groan of exhaustion.

Taking a few steps towards him, Feathertail felt dread, heavy in her heart. Was this real? Was StarClan showing her a vision of her brother in his last moments? She leaned forward to touch Stormfur's ear with her nose, trying not to feel her own horror.

Just as her nose touched his ear, she could suddenly see something in the near distance. Towering and a fiery red, there was the clear outline of Creature's barn. "Stormfur!" she shouted over the wind. "Stormfur, please don't give up! Keep going, I promise that you don't have far to go! Please, Stormfur!" She pressed her pelt to his side, trying to push him up even though she knew her efforts were in vain.

Suddenly, just as her fur brushed his, Stormfur sat up, eyes wide. "Feathertail?" he murmured, looking right at her. Hope lifted her spirits for a moment. Could he see her? Was he going to live? Then he looked away, towards the barn, or where it had been a moment ago. Where the clear outline had been, there stood only a wall of snow. Feathertail wanted to cry out again as Stormfur continued, but instead she simply walked beside him, nudging him with her shoulder whenever he stumbled. Each time she touched him, it seemed that a bit more determination entered his eyes, until, just ahead, Feathertail could finally once again see the barn.

Stormfur let out a choking sound of relief, and his tired paws carried him the rest of the way there, Feathertail just behind. Excitement pricked her pelt, and she considered herself lucky that her brother had come from just the right direction to end up near the entrance. She followed him inside, feeling the change from mild chill to slight warmth.

"Who's there?" a hiss sounded, and Nat appeared from around the corner where the den area was located, fur on end.

The large gray tom was too distracted to say anything, drinking in the scents of the barn. "My friends," he suddenly demanded, staring at her. "I can smell their scents! I'd know them anywhere; they're my clanmates! What have you done with them?"

"You're a friend of Feathertail and the others?" Nat blinked, and Feathertail felt pride rise in her chest as Stormfur nodded vigorously, eyes lighting up at the mention of her name.

"I'm looking for them. Where are they?"

"I'm afraid they left just this morning," Nat said apologetically, shaking her head. Stormfur bristled, but seemed to calm himself as he shook his head.

"Which way did they go?" he asked, though his tiredness showed in his face.

"You're not fit to go looking," the she-cat answered, her voice stern. "You should at least stay here until the storm subsides! Come on, we still have extra nests from when they were here." She stepped forward, and though Stormfur tried to protest, she led him into the area between the bales of hay.

Feathertail smiled and followed after them, wanting to watch over her brother for just a little longer, but just as Stormfur was settling into a nest, she heard someone call her name. "Feathertail, are you hungry?"

"Wha…?" Feathertail opened one eye groggily to see Tawnypelt standing over her, a lizard by her paws. Feathertail tried not to scrunch up her nose. In the hardest times, her clan had eaten lizards that lived by the water, but they were definitely not her favorite prey. She also felt a bit disoriented, barely remembering what had happened before she'd slept and her dream still vivid in her mind. Had she really seen her brother out there?

"Leafpaw told me that it was about time that you had something to eat, and we had all just hunted." Tawnypelt's whiskers twitched, and she batted the lizard towards Feathertail. "Tumblepaw caught this and wanted you to have it."

"Tell him I said thank you," the tabby said, trying to seem sincere as she was pulled back to the present. She was impressed with her young apprentice, however. It was clear that he'd already begun to learn. She pulled the lizard close and began to dig in, but stopped as she realized that Tawnypelt was still there. "Did you want to share?" she asked the other cat, though lizards had scare meat as it was, and she could feel her stomach roll with hunger.

The tortoiseshell shook her head. "No, thank you. I've already eaten. I was just wondering, though, Feathertail…." She took in a deep breath. "The storm is still going on outside even though it's been ages since we got here, and after Leo showing us around, I can see that this place has plenty of prey. It's warmer inside as well, and we have hay for bedding, and even sturdy dens like this one. Do you think that this might be what StarClan wanted us to find?"

Feathertail's mind reeled as she tried to wrap her head around Tawnypelt's sudden change of heart, but she should her head with a definitive certainty. "It still doesn't feel right, and I know it doesn't to you, because you have already expressed discomfort to me." The warrior shifted as her earlier suspicions were brought up, though her face remained impassive. "I think we still have a long way to go, but it will have to wait until the storm is over." She sent a smile Tawnypelt's way, ear flicking to one side. "Thank you, Tawnypelt. For trusting me enough to talk to me about these things."

"Thank you for listening," Tawnypelt said with a smile, crouching down opposite Feathertail and meeting her eyes at last. She hesitated before adding. "I'm sorry for earlier. It was just…. You and Cygnus seemed to get along so well right away, and I'm not sure what came over me, but I just felt very distrustful of her right away. We don't even talk all that much, you and I, but it was unnerving to see you talk to someone so easily, though I know that's just how you are. You're always so friendly to everyone." She paused a moment before saying, "Even cats that are strangers and Crowfur."

Finishing up the lizard as she listened to Tawnypelt, Feathertail felt that perhaps the other she-cat wasn't telling the entire truth of the matter, but she quickly let it go. This wasn't a big deal, after all. "You don't have anything to apologize for. I understand," she reassured Tawnypelt, shaking her head. "I'd like to see how the others are doing," she added, licking her whiskers as she stretched in her nest. Come to think of it, she wondered how in the world they'd managed to move her into a nest without waking her, but she dismissed the thought. As sore and tired as she still felt, she didn't doubt that it was possible.

"They're all fine." Tawnypelt's whiskers quivered slightly. "Tumblepaw and Eaglestorm are coughing after being out in the cold, but Ursa and Leafpaw have been taking care of them. I'm just glad that the kit didn't get stuck out in the snow alone like you." She smiled as Feathertail walked past her, and turned to walk by her side. "I'm certain they'll both be alright, in any case. After all, Tumblepaw still insisted on hunting."

Despite Tawnypelt's reassuring words, Feathertail couldn't help but worry. She'd known Tumblepaw since he was born, after all, and couldn't help but remember her promise to herself to protect him. She quickened her pace to the main barn as she heard Leafpaw's voice. "They'll be just fine, Crowfur. This is just a mild case of greencough. I've seen it before, time and time again, and Ursa has plenty of herbs to treat it."

"But my sibling?" Feathertail heard Crowfur snap. "Eaglestorm had to be the one to catch it? You'd better make sure they make it!" Feathertail stepped out into the main area of the barn just in time to see Crowfur making his way down from the top level of the barn, grumbling to himself as he clambered down piles of hay that were stacked against the walls. He glanced up at her as he landed on the dirt floor with one final bound and lifted his nose towards the loft. "Tumblepaw is up there. Leafpaw and Ursa have him and Eaglestorm resting, but if you want to go talk to them you're welcome to try."

"Don't be so hostile," Feathertail mumbled as she passed him, giving him a small, teasing smile. "Leafpaw's only trying to help." She then began to climb up the piles of hay, which gave her a clear path up to the upper level. She made it up in no time, but going so fast had put a strain on her aching body, and she pulled breath into her chest to try to gain some of her strength back. Feathertail put a smile on her face as she spotted Leafpaw standing over Tumblepaw, and Eaglestorm lying in a nest just a small ways away from them, eyes fixed on the two. He lifted his head to greet Feathertail, but as he opened his mouth and drew breath in, he gave a few small coughs.

"Sorry about that," he said with a flick of his tail, smiling at Feathertail as she approached the three of them. "I don't know if I've properly introduced myself to you, but I'm Eaglestorm. I prefer to go by they and them instead of he and him, if you don't mind." _That's what I was trying to remember!_ It struck Feathertail that that was what she was forgetting, a fact she probably should've remembered, since Tallstar had announced their warrior's newly discovered identity then to request that every cat be respectful.

"I'm sorry," Feathertail apologized as she realized Eaglestorm was waiting patiently for her reply. "I'd forgotten about that Gathering, and I am very sorry, but I promise I'll do my best to respect that in the future." She dipped her head, eyes meeting the other cat's as she brought her head back up. They seemed to be amused, tilting their head just slightly to the side to gaze at her.

"It's fine. Thank you for being so kind about this. I've had cats ridicule me for it." Eaglestorm glanced to the side as Leafpaw approached, settling their head on their paws once again. "I should rest before someone scolds me," they purred, flicking their tail towards the medicine cat apprentice.

"You're just lucky I haven't decided to make you eat the nastiest herbs I can find!" Leafpaw responded playfully, shaking her head and sharing a smile with the other cat. To Feathertail she added, "You shouldn't stay up here for too long, you know. We don't need anyone else getting sick."

"I just wanted to check on my apprentice," Feathertail reassured her. "Is he going to be alright?"

Leafpaw moved to the side to allow Feathertail to get closer to Tumblepaw, who appeared to be asleep. His breath rattled in his chest, which was a worrying sign until Feathertail realized with a small snicker that the apprentice was snoring softly, his chest rising and falling in a normal, steady rhythm. "He's going to be fine, he's just got to eat his herbs and rest," Leafpaw reassured her. She seemed to remember something, and lowered her voice as she added, "Speaking of resting, are you alright? When I came in to check on you with Ursa last night, you were mumbling in your sleep. Did you have an unpleasant dream?"

For a brief moment, Feathertail considered telling Leafpaw about the dream as concern shone in her amber eyes. Then she shook her head. "No, not that I can remember," she lied. She didn't know why she felt compelled to, but she thought that perhaps it might be that she wasn't certain whether or not it was a dream or a vision yet. She turned back to Tumblepaw and touched her nose to the young tom's forehead, before turning away to go back down to the lower level. "Thank you for your concern, though. I'll come to you if I need to talk about anything," she purred to Leafpaw, nodding at her. "And thank you for looking after them."

Once her paws were back on the floor, she took a moment to look around at all of the cats that were walking around, intermingling and talking to each other. Though it had been only a few days, she could already feel something forming between all of them, and it seemed that they were truly becoming a clan. For a moment she could picture them all staying there in the barn with these friendly cats, and their kin staying there in the generations to come, but she quickly shook her head. No, this wasn't where they were meant to be. Something in her told her that they should keep going. When they were finally able to travel again, it would be time to continue on their journey to their new home.


	8. Chapter 6

_Hey guys! Back with another chapter for you; this one is not only fairly timely, but the longest one so far! In fact, it got so long that if it seems like the end is rushed at all_ _, it's probably because it kind of was. No worries, though! The next chapter will pick up from the day after where this one leaves off._

 **Chapter 6**

Tail-tip twitching just slightly over the wooden floor under her, Feathertail stalked forward, ears alert for the smallest movement. She opened her mouth to draw in the scent of hay, mingled with that of mouse. It didn't take her very long to hear the scuffle of tiny paws ahead, and she drew herself towards the noise, around a pile of hay, until she spotted the mouse just ahead. She moved towards it just enough to pounce and felt the small creature struggle under her for only a heartbeat before her teeth met in its scruff.

She went back to collect her other catches and then sat down to wait for Tumblepaw. In the half-moon or so since they'd arrived (she couldn't really see when the sun rose and fell, so she generally gave her best estimate) the apprentice's hunting skills had greatly improved. It bothered her that she wasn't able to teach her apprentice how to fish here, with no river deep enough in sight, but more of the time he himself seemed not to care, as long as he had something to do. More to the point, Feathertail herself was beginning to get restless, especially with the possibility that her brother was out there somewhere, trying to find them. He could already be at the place of the new clans by now! Well, perhaps not, but if he'd decided to continue on in the cold and snow flurries that had kept the snow outside piled up and made it impossible for them to leave, then he'd be well in front of them, and Feathertail might never see him again. At least there was prey enough for everyone here, with mouse dens nearly everywhere one could look, and there was no risk of anyone else getting sick from the cold after Eaglestorm and Tumblepaw's quick recovery from the mild bout of whitecough.

Just as Feathertail was about to go searching for her apprentice, a pained yowl pierced the air and made her fur stand on end. She gathered up her mice (she wanted to spit out the blood in her mouth; she was so sick of the taste) and quickly bounded down the path to the bottom floor. Her paws touched the ground just as Leafpaw hurried past, a good-sized stick in her mouth. She forced herself to relax as she realized that the sound was coming from the stall where she'd taken up sleeping, shared with Tumblepaw, Ursa, Libra, and Orion. Libra was a quick-tempered she-cat who had been carrying Orion's kits when the clan cats first arrived, so she must be kitting. Almost as soon as she came to this conclusion, Tumblepaw jumped down from the hay bales behind her.

"What's going on?" the apprentice asked in alarm, setting his mice down. "Is someone fighting? Do I need to help?" All along his spine, his fur stood straight up, making him seem larger than he was.

"It's alright!" Feathertail nearly jumped as Cygnus approached, quiet for someone who couldn't hear what they were doing. At least, quiet until she talked. "Libra is having her kits. She's so big that she'll probably have a bunch!" she purred. "You should've seen Orion when I walked by. He was pacing outside of the stall because Ursa and Leafpaw wouldn't let him in. He looked like he was going to create a path where he stood from all his walking!" Her eyes lit up as she spotted Feathertail's prey, and she glanced back at her friend. "Can we share food after you put that on the pile?"

"Sure," Feathertail agreed, nodding. She'd become nearly an expert on talking so that Cygnus could understand her, which usually meant using as few words as possible, and the two had become nearly inseparable. Cygnus even sat in on many of Tumblepaw's lessons, and helped with sparring sessions, since she didn't know much about battling herself and was practically learning alongside him.

"I'll race you to the pile," Cygnus challenged Tumblepaw, grabbing one of Feathertail's mice before making a break for it.

"No fair!" Tumblepaw called after her even though she couldn't hear, and he was grinning as he picked up both of his pieces of prey and ran after her.

The long-furred she-cat laughed as she picked up her own mice, trotting after the other two. Cygnus got along so well with the apprentice, even though she was around Feathertail's age. She was glad that the two got along, but even more glad that Cygnus had decided to become friends with her. She set her mice back down as she reached the prey pile that the clan cats had made, seeing that Cygnus was still holding the one she'd grabbed. The deaf cat beckoned her towards a place near the corner of the barn, which Feathertail thought was a bit odd, since she usually liked to stay amongst the other cats. She followed the she-cat over, however, and sat across from her, shaking her head when Cygnus offered her the first bite. "You."

Cygnus gave her a questioning look, and Feathertail nodded. "I'm sure." After the affirmation, the large she-cat was quick to dig in, Feathertail turning to gaze at the other cats lounging around the barn. They didn't have many duties to do here, of course, but most of the other cats got antsy and took walks around the barn at different points in the day, unable to bear sitting around and doing nothing. Featherrtail's eyes stuck on two certain cats, however, as she caught sight of them. Tawnypelt, who had been so careful around the barn cats at first, had become almost as attached to Leo as Feathertail had to Cygnus. The two were sharing another of the mice (that was all that they had in this barn at this point, and again, Feathertail's tail curled in disgust; she'd had too many of them recently) and talking, both with smiles on their faces. Something showed in Leo's eyes, and disgust wasn't the only thing that curdled Feathertail's stomach.

Tawnypelt must've felt her eyes on them, because she began to lift her head to look towards where the two she-cats rested. Before her eyes could meet Feathertail's, the silver she-cat looked quickly away, turning her head to face the wall.

"Feathertail," she heard Cygnus's voice say, and she turned to gaze at her in question. "You keep looking at them when we're together." She seemed almost hurt, but covered it up by quickly adding in a teasing manner, "Do you have a crush on my brother or something? Because if you do, I'm afraid I have to break it to you that Tawnypelt's already stolen his heart!"

Jealousy suddenly surged through Feathertail, though it wasn't for Leo. She shook her head quickly in response to Cygnus's question, smiling instead. "I don't have a crush on Leo, Cygnus." She rolled her eyes, giving her friend's shoulder a little nudge. "You and I should check out the door again later," she added, trying to change the subject. "Maybe it's gotten a bit better and we'll actually be able to go outside soon. I'm about to be sick of mouse!"

Cygnus gave a small noise of agreement, but didn't seem to have much else to say. She slid the prey over to Feathertail when she'd had her fill, and Feathertail finished it off. Once the two were done, the silver tabby felt a sudden prickling in her fur to go visit Libra. She hadn't heard any more pained screeches from the stall, but she doubted that the kitting was over, so she decided better of it. Libra was always cranky in the first place, and the last thing that Feathertail needed was to try to get into the den while she was in extreme pain. She pushed the feeling away, knowing that nothing bad would happen while Leafpaw and Ursa were taking care of her, and instead scooted closer to Cygnus, beginning to wash her pelt clean of small bits of hay and dirt as Cygnus returned the favor.

"Door?" She inquired once both of them were done, glancing towards the large doors of the barn.

The white she-cat shifted where she crouched, looking mildly uncomfortable, before nodding. "Sure." She still seemed uneasy as she stood, but it disappeared after giving her shoulder a couple of quick licks.

Feathertail wanted to ask, but sensed that now was not the time, and the two made their way over to the huge set of doors. Cygnus pressed her shoulder to it and pushed, but it didn't give way. Feathertail joined her, and the two of them tried again, but the snow outside was putting too much pressure on the slats of wood. "Perhaps if the others helped…." Feathertail mused, following Cygnus back to the main area as the other she-cat seemed to hurry away, keeping her head down.

She was about to go and settle down beside Cygnus where she had decided to lay, head on her paws and eyes closed, until a voice caught her attention. "Feathertail!" She turned her head to gaze at Brambleclaw questioningly as he approached her. "Could I have a talk with you?"

"Sure." She flicked her ear and realized that Eaglestorm and Tawnypelt were also standing behind him. Her stomach rolled uneasily, and she sent a glance backwards towards her friend as they led her away. What could they want to talk about?

Brambleclaw led them up to the top of the barn, turning to face them after a moment's pause. "We need to do something to get out of here," he finally said. "It may not seem like it now, but the prey is limited, and it's running out. There are too many cats to be supported by this little barn, and I know that by now, everyone is getting restless being cooped up in here, especially Crowfur and Squirrelpaw." He glanced at Eaglestorm, who gave a small affirmative nod. "Feathertail, I saw what you and Cygnus have been doing with the door. Do you think that, if we were to push against it all together, we could get it open?"

Feathertail realized that the others' eyes had come to rest on her, and she kneaded her paws anxiously against the ground until she realized that they were waiting for her response. "I don't know," she answered, shaking her head. "We haven't even gotten it to budge between the two of us, so I'm really not sure. It couldn't hurt to try, though." After a moment's hesitation, she added, "Even if we do get it open, do we really want to leave so soon? This leafbare is promising to be a harsh one, and I don't want to lose anyone."

Tawnypelt and Brambleclaw exchanged small murmurs as Eaglestorm gazed at Feathertail, their eyes filled with trust and understanding. Finally, Tawnypelt ventured, "I've been talking to Leo, and he says that this isn't a permanent home for them, either, just a place to stay for the winter. Perhaps, do you think that they might want to come along…? I'm sure they could help us, after all."

"They seem very comfortable here," Eaglestorm butted in, gaze flicking to Feathertail to reveal uncertainty. When she gave them an encouraging nod, they continued, "It's got plenty of food for them, and one of them now has kits to care for, and surely they wouldn't leave them behind."

"If you're going to t-talk about us, why don't you invite us to l-listen?" Feathertail stiffened as she heard a voice she recognized, turning her head to look at Leo as he padded out from behind a large pile of hay. "We all want different things, you know." Envy burned through her pelt as Leo's eyes met Tawnypelt's, each of them smiling softly at the other.

Clearing her throat, Feathertail once again drew attention to herself. "Wouldn't it be a shame to break up a family like you all?" she asked, shaking her head. "I think we can do well enough on our own. We'll be far more likely to find enough prey if it was only us clan cats in this weather."

"So you're s-suddenly so willing to leave us b-behind?" Leo challenged, taking a step towards her. "I'm s-sure Cygnus would lo-love to know that. You know that even if w-we were to g-get the door open, you c-could stay! You could h-hunt if you were that unc-comfortable taking our prey." He narrowed his eyes at Feathertail, intimidating despite his stutter. His mention of Cygnus had sent an arrow straight through to pierce her heart. Of course she didn't want to upset the other she-cat, but they'd all known that they would have to leave sometime! Right?

"Why don't we stay for a little while longer?" Brambleclaw interjected, stepping between Feathertail and Leo, clearly trying to make sure that no fur was going to fly. "We can stay here for at least another half-moon while we wait for the door to get unstuck. That way, everyone can be ready when we finally do leave, because we can't stay here forever." He sent a pointed glance at Leo, who flicked his tail in annoyance, but nodded to show that he understood.

It seemed like that was that, and Feathertail turned to make her way back downstairs as she heard Tawnypelt and Leo begin to mutter soft words to each other, making her pelt prickle. "Are you alright?" She nearly jumped out of her pelt when Eaglestorm appeared beside her, blinking owlishly. "You don't seem to like Leo very much."

It wasn't entirely true, but Feathertail's stomach churned as she tried to tune out the voices that she could still hear in the background. "I'll be fine," she reassured them, shaking her head. "Thank you for asking, though. Have you and Crowfur eaten today?" she added. "Tumblepaw and I brought down plenty of mice earlier. I'm sure you two could share one of the more plump ones, hm?"

"Thank you," Eaglestorm chuckled softly. "It's very much appreciated. Would you like to join us while we eat? I did see you eating with Cygnus earlier, but she's probably still asleep, and Tumblepaw is probably off bothering Squirrelpaw about ThunderClan battle moves, so you need someone to keep you company."

Gratitude flooded Feathertail's pelt, and she gave them a slight nod. "That would be lovely. Thank you." She padded after the pale gray cat, letting them take the lead to the prey pile. They hovered over it for a moment before selecting one of the three mice that remained, not the smallest, nor the plumpest. Eaglestorm then padded towards a corner where Crowfur was doing his best to sun himself in the artificial sunlight that came from the strange shining orbs in the rafters.

The tom's nose twitched before he opened his deep blue eyes, and he greeted both of them with a short, "Eaglestorm, Feathertail." He pulled himself up as he saw the mouse that Eaglestorm had retrieved, snorting softly, "You know, if we eat any more mice, we might as well be RiverClan cats for how fat we're getting." Realizing what he'd said, he quickly amended, "Not that I meant that you're fat, Feathertail - and even if you were fat, you'd still be a lovely cat -" He groaned as dipped his head, covering his face with a paw. "Sorry. I don't think I'm doing this friendship thing right."

Feathertail's whiskers twitched with amusement, and she gave his ear an affectionate lick. "We'll work on it," she hummed, before crouching down beside Eaglestorm. "It's fine, in any case. It's not a crime to be a bit plump, is it?" She shook out her fur to make herself look even bigger than she was and threw a teasing look towards Crowfur as he peeked out from under his paw. In exchange, he gave her a rare smile, though it was gone as soon as he lifted his head.

"Mouse again?" he complained. "Isn't there anything else in this wretched barn? Or any way to get outside so that we don't have to live on mice and nothing but?" He shook his head exasperatedly, crouching across from his sibling, who had already started to eat. Of course, Crowfur ate anyway, knowing that only a fool would refuse a good meal, especially when back in the clans, they were probably having a hard time finding food right now.

The thought made Feathertail cringe. Shouldn't they all be back in their clans now, helping them through these long leafbare moons? But she knew that StarClan's calling was to something greater, even though it was so very far from their home. Perhaps the clan would find it easier to survive without the extra mouths to feed.

"Would you like to stay with us tonight?" She was broken by her reverie by Eaglestorm's voice. "I'm sure that Libra would love a bit of space for her family tonight, whenever she's done kitting."

Glancing around the barn, Feathertail shrugged. "I might," she said, but there was no definitive answer in her mew.

Eaglestorm didn't ask any more of her, however, and merely nodded. "So," they began, drawing out the sound of the word. "When you were still in RiverClan, did you have any aspirations for your life?"

Feathertail was a bit shocked by the sudden question, but right away she shook her head. "I'd never really thought about anything beyond becoming a warrior," she admitted. "I'd never thought to do anything else. I was happy serving my clan in that way."

"Surely you left a sweetheart behind, being one with a heart as sweet as yours?" Crowfur spoke up, purring mischievously.

"Oh, no," Feathertail laughed quickly, shaking her head. "There was one tom who might've been trying to get my attention, but I'm not entirely sure that he was, or that he was for the right reasons." Glancing at Eaglestorm, then to Crowfur, she continued hesitantly, lowering her voice, "I've never really found any interest in toms, I'm afraid." Her pelt burned as she took another pause, wondering whether she should even say the next bit in her mind. She finally decided that she could trust Crowfur and Eaglestorm, who mostly stayed around each other in any case. "I've always fancied she-cats over toms," she admitted, her voice small.

A smile crept over Crowfur's face despite himself, and Eaglestorm laughed, nudging her shoulder. "Feathertail, with the way you act around Cygnus, I'm surprised I'm the only one that guessed before now," they purred. "Is that why you don't like Leo as well?"

The silver tabby felt embarrassment creep over her, but she nodded. "Yes," she sighed. "I've always admired Tawnypelt, even when we were still in the clans. As kits we were close, but then we drifted apart when we joined different clans, but I just never got rid of my first kit-crush, I suppose."

"But even if Leo decides to come, one way or another, don't you think Cygnus might as well?" Crowfur's eyes gleamed, leaning towards her. "I mean, you do like her, don't you?"

"She's a crush," Feathertail protested softly, shaking her head, though she couldn't help the bit of anguish that slipped into her mew. "She probably doesn't like me like I like her, in any case. Not many she-cats share my preferences." She'd done all she could to keep herself from getting yet another crush that would likely always remain unrequited, but Cygnus had been such a sweet and kind friend that Feathertail hadn't been able to keep from temptation, though luckily she didn't think it had developed into anything more than just a crush. She sighed, glancing around for either of the she-cats, suddenly wary of the fact that they might overhear. It seemed that Tawnypelt was still off somewhere with Leo, and Cygnus had moved from her previous position, now curled up in a little ball on top of a hay bale nearby, but was definitely still asleep.

"I'm sure everything will turn out okay for you," Eaglestorm replied after a moment, giving her a sympathetic smile. She nodded gratefully in return, knowing that if any cat were to understand her predicament, it was likely to be them. "Perhaps you should rest now," Eaglestorm said lightly, tail twitching to indicate the nest behind them. "You've had a long day, I'm sure. I'll wake you if anything important happens."

"I couldn't!" Feathertail protested quickly, but Eaglestorm help up their tail to stop her, giving her a bright, teasing smile.

"I insist," they purred, shaking their head. "I'm not tired now, anyway. I've only just woken up."

Feathertail gave them a look of gratitude, bumping her head against theirs affectionately and gaining another small purr in response. She then settled into the nest, closing her eyes.

She could sense that she had only gotten in a nap when she woke by her own means, flicking her ears as she processed the scene in the barn around her. It seemed that Tawnypelt and Leo still hadn't returned, or had but were gone again. By the furthest wall, it seemed that Brambleclaw had pulled some of the hay out to create a soft surface for Tumblepaw and Squirrelpaw to spar on while he oversaw the session. Leafpaw was by the place where the prey pile usually sat, though was now empty as she munched on the mouse she'd picked up. Feathertail guessed that since she was here, the other remaining mouse had gone to Libra, and Crowfur and Eaglestorm had probably gone hunting again.

The she-cat sat up, beginning to wash her pelt, when a sudden flash of white caused her to jump backwards a bit, fluffing out her fur. She settled as she realized it was Cygnus, looking as energetic as ever, and she gave her a smile, tilting her head to ask what she was so excited about. "The kits!" Cygnus replied, her strange-sounding purr bubbling up in her throat. "Come see them!"

"Me?" Feathertail asked, astounded that she would ask such a thing. She especially didn't believe that Libra would want her around just after she'd had them, but she certainly supposed she could be wrong. She couldn't imagine for what reason she could be needed, though.

"Yes, you, silly!" Cygnus was already lightly pushing Feathertail towards the stall. "Come with me!" The silver tabby supposed that she didn't have any choice in the matter, and began walking towards the open door of the stall to save Cygnus some energy.

She let Cygnus pass through in front of her, hanging back for a moment until Cygnus looked back at her questioningly. She shook her head to tell her that she was alright and padded forward, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dimmer lighting before going too far into the den. She could just make out Ursa, Orion, and Libra at the other end, and smelled the strong milk-scent of the queen and the mewling of the newborn kits.

"Beautiful," Cygnus breathed as she got close to them. Feathertail still hung behind, glancing at the pure black queen, who looked exhausted, her pale eyes closed and breathing steady. She almost thought that she was asleep until she opened one eye to peer at her, snickering softly.

"My kits and I are not a spectacle that are on display for you and your friends, you know," she said, though the usual spite that would be in her voice was lessened with her exhaustion. Feathertail knew she meant well, in any case. At first she had been truly hostile, but she knew that she only meant well and cared for her kits' safety above all else.

"Cygnus wanted me to come," she explained softly, staying a reasonable distance away from Libra and her kits. Orion, who had been cleaning Libra's pelt, looked up at the mention of his sister, his amber eyes meeting Feathertail's. The two of them could've nearly been siblings, both with long silver tabby coats and Orion with eyes that reminded Feathertail of her father's or her brother's. "I tried to tell her that you probably wouldn't welcome my presence, but she wouldn't take no for an answer."

Loud purring suddenly erupted by her ear as Cygnus sat beside her, pressing her pelt against Feathertail's and rubbing her cheek against the other she-cat's in her excitement. Almost immediately, Feathertail felt her fur warming, and Orion muttered something to Libra, who nodded. "Since you're here anyhow-"

"Aren't the kits wonderful?" Cygnus asked, eyes glowing as she looked at Feathertail, seemingly unaware that she'd just cut Libra off. She had hardly been paying attention to her at all, then, Feathertail noted, realizing that if she had she would've waited until Libra's mouth has stopped moving. "See them up close, Feathertail! They're so tiny and lovely! Can't wait for them to be older - I'll have someone to play hide with again!"

Feathertail glanced between Cygnus and Libra, who gave her a nod. "I was about to give you permission to come closer any case. Since you're already here you might as well see them." She shifted slightly to lean more into her mate, sitting behind her, and let out a small sigh as she closed her eyes again.

Still, Feathertail felt that it would be intruding to go any closer. She glanced to Ursa, who was sitting to the side and had said nothing the whole time, and was surprised to find her staring back. The large brown she-cat only gave a nod, mouth twitching upwards at the edges when their eyes met. Feathertail took this as a sign that she should approach the kits, and took a few hesitant steps forward, crouching to look at them.

There were four kits - a large litter, as Cygnus had predicted, she noted silently. Two were black and white, one was pure black, and the last was a pale gray tabby, though it didn't have the bluish hue of a silver pelt. "Your kits are beautiful," she commented quietly to Libra, but she didn't respond, breathing in and out in the rhythm of sleep.

She felt a tail touch her shoulder, and turned to see Cygnus, who motioned for her to follow. As quietly as she could, Feathertail trailed after her friend, curious as to where she was going to lead her next. She glanced at Ursa again as they left, and the she-cat looked entertained as her eyes followed them, dipping her head respectfully to Feathertail when their gazes met. The gesture surprised Feathertail, but she didn't comment on it, instead turning to keep going after Cygnus.

Surprisingly enough, Cygnus was taking her towards the door of the barn. Something in Feathertail's heart lifted as she realized something; it was open! Though it was just a tiny crack, it was enough for the light outside to come streaming through. "I got help from the others after you fell asleep," Cygnus explained softly, staring at Feathertail's disbelieving expression with a small smile on her face. "We were able to pull it open, and it's not too bad outside. I don't think it's snowed for the past days. I know how much you want to leave…." She trailed off, though it seemed like she had something else she wanted to say, but had brushed it off. "Do you want to go out?" she asked instead, looking towards the crack in the door.

"Yes!" Feathertail purred, delighted that she would finally be able to take fresh air into her lungs once again. She bounded outside, pushing her way through the door, though with her size it did take a bit of effort; the crack between the doors was barely more than a sliver.

Her paws hit the icy cold snow, and excited shivers ran up and down her spine. She giggled as she bounded about, barely taking into account that stars shone overhead, breaking the thin upper layer of ice everywhere that her paws met it, sinking into the snow to her belly. After only a few minutes, snow was sticking to her fur in clumps. She looked up as she heard a soft laugh, the most beautiful thing she thought she'd ever heard, to see Cygnus grinning at her from the doorway. She'd never heard her really laugh before, only heard her strange purr, which was enchanting in itself. Without taking a second thought, she leapt towards the other she-cat, headbutting her shoulder gently when she reached her side.

"With me?" Feathertail asked Cygnus, taking a few steps into the snow again before looking back at her to speak.

"Yes!" Cygnus said joyfully, bounding into the snow. She sunk down even farther than Feathertail due to her greater size, though her height just barely saved her from having the ice scrape her belly. Feathertail grinned mischievously for only a moment, Cygnus's only warning before she pounced at her, bowling her over into the snow. For a moment, the two were completely covered by it as it rained down into the cavity their bodies had created, but once Feathertail had sat up, moonlight was able to shine on their fur once again.

A lump formed in Feathertail's throat as she looked down at Cygnus, seeing the way her brilliant fur caught the rays of the moon, almost as if she was going to get up and walk the path to StarClan at any moment. Her pale blue eyes reflected the shape of it, not quite a full moon above them, but almost there. Feathertail was tempted to confess to her crush then and there, but she was suddenly overcome by dread as she realized that perhaps it wasn't as small of a crush as she'd thought.

Her trance was broken as Cygnus reached up to bat at her nose playfully with her paw. "What you looking at?" she asked, smirking slightly. Feathertail quickly backed up in the snow, shaking her head and causing little flurries to fall from it.

"Nothing," she lied, taking in a deep breath of the crisp air to steady herself. She didn't need this right now, this wasn't what she'd wanted. "Do you want to go hunting?" she asked, forcing herself to slow down enough that Cygnus could at least understand the 'hunting' part, and feeling ever-so-grateful that she couldn't hear the panic in her tone, even if she could just as easily see it in her eyes. Cygnus wouldn't be coming with them, and she didn't return her feelings - Feathertail _couldn't_ love her, and certainly not when she was absolutely positive she still loved Tawnypelt! She tried to push away her thoughts to save for another time when she actually had time for them, knowing that she couldn't worry Cygnus over this. Her emotions could wait until she wanted them for now.

Feathertail hadn't realized that Cygnus was silently waiting to reply until she met her gaze again, and when she finally looked back up, she thought she'd missed her reply. Cygnus simply said, "Yes, hunting," when she looked at her once again, however. "Follow," she added as an instruction to her friend, flicking her tail and wading through the snow towards another structure not too far away, one which Feathertail recognized as a Twoleg den.

The she-cat followed obediently, though she couldn't help but wonder why they were going this way. Her question seemed to be answered once they came to the back of the den, where there was a bounty of different plants that were similar to what Feathertail had seen of ShadowClan's trees in that their leaves remained, however heavy they were with snow. They were arranged neatly, and most were not taller than the top of the Twoleg den. Some were small shrubs that grew close to the ground. Feathertail opened her mouth to draw in the scent of the area, and took a light step out of the dip in the snow they'd created, trying not to break the ice atop of the snow. It seemed that it was shallower here, and she could see a clear pathway of stone in the middle of the trees.

Cygnus stopped her, shaking her head as she held her back with her tail in front of her chest. Feathertail tilted her head, one ear back, and Cygnus nodded towards the door of the Twoleg den. Feathertail followed her gaze, eyes widening as she spotted the dog that Cygnus was pointing out. It was small, and was settled down and sleeping on a strange nest that seemed to be made of fur inside of a smaller version of the Twoleg den. If the loner had said nothing, Feathertail wouldn't have noticed it. She gave an affirmative nod to show that she understood, then watched in disbelief as Cygnus padded towards the den.

She darted after her friend, not wanting any harm to come to her, but all of the alarmed looks she was sending got her nowhere and a grin. Feathertail held back a frustrated sigh, looking at the dog once again as they drew closer. It seemed to be sleeping soundly. What was Cygnus doing?

Feathertail thought her heart would stop its beating as they walked right past the dog. She'd been so preoccupied with trying to get Cygnus's attention and by the rush of blood in her ears that she hardly heard the trickling of water until they were nearly on top of it, and stopped just in time to stop herself from running into a strange stone wall. Cygnus had already jumped on top of the wall and was looking back at her, so without further ado, Feathertail hopped up beside her, though she was certain that this wasn't tall enough to keep the dog from catching them if it woke.

She balanced herself on the stone before looking down as Cygnus gestured for her to, ears pricking in surprise at what she saw. She was peering down into a pool of water that was surrounded by greenery on the stone wall opposite the two of them, lily pads floating on the pool's surface and light filtering up through the water. Several large fish drifted lazily underneath the water, and when Feathertail reached down to touch its surface in disbelief, she found that it was warm.

Sharing a look with Cygnus, the she-cat gave Feathertail a nod of encouragement, her eyes sparkling. It was fairly easy to catch the first fish in the small pool, with their languid movements and predictable path. The second and third were a bit harder, as they seemed to be catching on to the fact that there was something hunting them. Feathertail wished that Tumblepaw could've come here for this, for she doubted that this place was safe to return to if it was so close to the Twoleg den. When she'd caught enough for herself and Cygnus to share, she sat back, drying her paws off with swift swipes of her tongue.

"Let's go," she mouthed to Cygnus, picking up two of the fish by the tail as she watched Cygnus take the last. The white cat led the way across the open space, but didn't go back to the barn, instead shimmying into the area underneath a bush's branches. Feathertail followed, dropping her fish. "Eat here?" she asked softly, to which Cygnus nodded.

At her first bite, her eyes closed in bliss. It seemed like forever since she'd had something that wasn't mouse, let alone fish. She allowed herself to savor the taste before swallowing the piece of meat, then did the same with each bite after, allowing it to sit on her tongue for a moment so that she would be able to truly appreciate the flavor. It was different than she remembered RiverClan's fish being, though she attributed that to its clear association with Twolegs; where else could she find a calico fish?

When she was done with the first fish, she looked up to see that Cygnus was watching her, her expression unreadable. She'd already eaten the one she took, it seemed. When their eyes connected, Cygnus pushed the last of the fish towards Feathertail. "You." Feathertail didn't protest, digging in with much more vigor than she had with the first fish as she realized how hungry she still was. She licked her whiskers when she finished, then set about cleaning her pelt, as per habit.

"Feathertail." She looked up at the solemnness in Cygnus's voice, confused. She never sounded this serious. When their eyes met, Cygnus's unreadable expression immediately turned shy, and she ducked her head. "Sorry. Nevermind. Doesn't matter."

Feathertail stretched one paw out to bat at the top of Cygnus's head, making her look up. A fierce protectiveness filled Feathertail when she realized that it almost looked as though Cygnus was about to cry. "Cygnus," she said gently, scooting closer to her. "Does matter. Tell me."

Cygnus seemed to try to hold in what she was going to say, before burying her face in Feathertail's shoulder, entire form shaking. "Please don't leave," came the muffled cry. "Feathertail. Please. Need you."

Feathertail felt sympathy welling in her heart, knowing how the she-cat felt. She couldn't say much until Cygnus was looking at her again, however, so she waited until the she-cat was still against her side, quieting down. She was going to try to get Cygnus to look at her, but a heartbeat before she reached out, Cygnus said something else that made her heart stop. "I love you."

Her blue eyes finally rose from Feathertail's fur, though she didn't look at the other she-cat. "Sorry. Doesn't matter. Nevermind. Sorry."

"Hey, hey," Feathertail murmured, getting Cygnus to lift her chin to look at her with her tail. She smiled at her, feeling her fur warm. "I... " Was she really going to go through with this? But thinking about Tawnypelt, seeming so at home nestled into Leo's side, and looking at Cygnus's face, with an expression of such despair, made the words leave her. "I love you too, Cygnus. But you know I can't stay."

"No!" Cygnus wailed, seemingly unaware of how loud she was getting. Feathertail signaled her to lower her voice as she remembered the dog, pricking her ears nervously to listen for it. "Don't understand!" Cygnus continued, seeming not to have seen her signal. "I love you as Libra would Orion. A mate to loved one!"

Feathertail felt herself immediately choke up as her emotions caught in her throat. "Cygnus," she struggled to get out, smiling as soon as she could manage it and smoothing her friend's fur with her tail, trying to calm her. "I still can't stay. I do have a duty to my clanmates. But if you really would want to be mates…? Then perhaps you could travel with us? I love you, Cygnus. From a mate to another."

Cygnus seemed to be stuck in indecision for a heartbeat, dominantly because of confusion. She seemed not to know if she'd read Feathertail's words correctly, but when she gave the questioning head tilt and Feathertail nodded with a small grin, she seemed to shiver with excitement. "Yes," she purred, headbutting her new mate's shoulder. "Yes! You and I…? We are now mates?"

"Yes," Feathertail assured her, eyes alight. "Yes, Cygnus. We are."

"We should go back to barn," Cygnus said suddenly, shooting up from her position on the snow under the bush. "Come!" She squeezed out from under the bush, racing away from it over the snow and laughing as she sped away. Feathertail was shocked at her sudden departure for a moment, before grinning and pelting after her, her paws barely seeming to touch the snow as she tried to keep up.

Once she scrambled through the open sliver of door, she looked around for Cygnus, only to notice that she'd seemed to disappear. Everyone else seemed to be sleeping by then, so as Feathertail followed Cygnus's scent trail, she did her best to stay quiet.

"... witness it! Please Mother Ursa! Let me go with her!" She realized that Cygnus's voice was coming from the stall that she herself had been sleeping in, and slunk into it, keeping her head down just in case she was interrupting something.

Ursa was laying back in her nest, looking as though she'd been disturbed from a nap. Libra's face was scrunched up, eyes closed as she tried to block out Cygnus's voice, and Orion was lapping the fur on her head gently to try to keep her calm. Upon noticing Feathertail's entrance, Ursa beckoned her closer. "Feathertail," she said gently, holding her tail in a way to silence Cygnus, who looked as though she was about to burst at any moment, "is it true that you have accepted my Daughter's offer of mateship?"

"Yes," Feathertail said, trying to seem bolder than she felt as she held her head high. She was excruciatingly aware that Ursa was the largest cat in the room, and could kill her with one swipe of her claws. But instead, her whiskers twitched, and a smile appeared in her eyes.

"Then you are a part of our family now." She stood, walking over to touch her nose to Feathertail's forehead. "Welcome to our family, Little Star. Carry us with you whenever you and Cygnus leave, and please, take care of her. I'd give you a name like ours - a name of the stars - but I know that your name is already important to you, Feathertail." She lifted her head up and closed her eyes. "I must ask that whatever happens, however, that you stay one more night at the least. If you are part of our family, after all, it is only common sense that you know Us, is it not?"


End file.
